These changes include reopening the block to vehicle traffic on busy weekend nights.
"The truth is that our downtown, Austin’s living room for the entire community, needs a little bit of renovation," Mayor Kirk Watson said Jan. 15. "Any street, any district or any neighborhood, without careful attention and investment, will begin to lose its luster. Even one that is as famous and storied as this one."
The setup
For years, several blocks of the popular Sixth Street strip downtown have been packed with crowds of pedestrians while the road is blocked off for vehicles several nights each week. The closure is typically accompanied by a heightened police and emergency medical services presence. Security improvements, such as new lighting, cameras and public safety programs, were rolled out after a fatal shooting in 2021.
East Sixth Street remains the most popular of Austin's four downtown entertainment districts, according to data tracked by the Downtown Austin Alliance and Placer.ai, drawing nearly 400,000 visitors per month as of late 2024.
The Austin Police Department in late December began testing out Sixth Street's reopening on Thursday and Sunday nights only, a plan accompanied by new streetscape features to expand pedestrian areas. On Jan. 15, officials shared more details about the strategic shift as the corridor's rehabilitation continues.
“The chaos that ensues when we’re locking down these streets like this and inviting more chaos into this place, it is not tenable," Police Chief Lisa Davis Said. "It has to change."
- The roadway opening to vehicular traffic for the entire weekend—with possible late-night closures if there are large crowds around 1:45 a.m. as bars are closing
- An expanded sidewalk area with rubber curbs, plastic poles and fencing separating pedestrians and the street, and removing parking spaces
- Street closures at intersections with San Jacinto, Trinity, and Neches streets on Thursdays through Sundays
“The widened sidewalks and added pedestrian space you see here on Sixth Street help us achieve that mobility goal to make this a street that functions for our community not just on weekend nights but 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year," she said.
Zooming in
The plans to reopen Sixth Street were in development well before the deadly Jan. 1 vehicle attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Temporary added protection like the placement of larger dump trucks to block the road came in response to that incident, Davis said, but the other mobility upgrades and street reopening were unrelated and will remain moving forward.
"The resources are not there to put the true barricades in place," she said. "It is safer to have pedestrians on the sidewalk—a sidewalk that is wider and a sidewalk that is managed."
In addition to protecting visitors, the changes are also intended to support APD officers and other first responders. Despite the district covering only a handful of city blocks, Davis said about 25% of Austin's officer injuries and uses of force take place in the area.
EMS Chief Robert Luckritz and Fire Marshal Stephen Truesdell both said the updates will impact their departments' operations downtown as well. For example, Luckritz said EMS is already working to expand a "holistic" approach to medical responses downtown—especially with extra funding approved last year—and is working to station the appropriate resources both downtown and elsewhere throughout the city on busy weekend nights.
Shawn Cirkiel, chef and owner of the Parkside gastropub on Sixth and chair of the district's Pecan Street Association, said he welcomes the improvements planned by the city and other property owners as the area has "languished" for years.
“When you lock a district down, which has been the default for the past few years ... that’s why you’re seeing the life getting squeezed out," he said. "By regiving access and managing it more appropriately, you get to see a better use."
Taking a step back
City leaders said Austin's efforts are intended to make the district a more vibrant, walkable and safer place. Beyond those initiatives, Sixth Street is also undergoing some cosmetic and business changes as Stream Realty Partners—now owners of nearly three dozen properties along the corridor—seeks to breathe life into many vacant commercial spaces.
That project, now called Old 6th, involved many civic reviews to ensure Stream's plans would maintain structures and character in the historic district. Building rehabilitation work is well underway as the project team looks to bring in new tenants and diversify the bar-heavy block.
“We’ll be repainting the buildings or bringing them back to their original materials. ... We’ll be putting in new historically appropriate storefronts, and really just getting the core and shell of the buildings ready for tenant improvement work," Paul Bodenman, Stream's senior vice president of investments, said in an interview.
Visitors may soon see some temporary activations for pop-up events or festivals like South by Southwest as that work continues, including to secure long-term tenants for many vacant spaces.
"Each one of these restauranteurs bring something different to the table, but all of them are very highly respected within the industry and really come with a lot of respect and ... gravitas," he said. "We’re really excited that we’re going to have a wide spectrum of offerings, but they’re all going to be quality."
What's next
Although one local property is being redeveloped as a new residential complex, no other large-scale housing, hotel or office construction will be included despite previous consideration. Instead, the project will stick to using existing properties with a focus on street-level commercial concepts given current retail market trends.
“Downtown is a residential neighborhood now. There’s thousands and thousands of units and tens of thousands of people that live and work in downtown, and I think that environment really supports a lot of restaurants and retail that maybe historically it hasn’t supported as well," Bodenman said of the change.
The first wave of exterior renovations along Sixth will be wrapping up soon, with most initial work expected to be completed by April. Additionally, Stream recently converted one historic building at Sixth and Sabine streets into The Dive, the project's leasing office.
“Sixth Street is overdue for a lot of these improvements, and we’re really excited to see the direction we’re currently going in," Bodenman said. "And I think we’re optimistic that the street will continue to get better and better with guidance and leadership from the city of Austin."
