Mohawk debuts new neon sign amid push to save Red River district venues

Members of the Red River business community are celebrating a new grant-funded neon sign at Mohawk, which area stakeholders called a needed investment in the entertainment district that's seeking to firm up public support for the venues along its "Music Mile."

“This small investment in a space like this is an investment in the city of Austin’s cultural infrastructure," said Nicole Klepadlo, Red River Cultural District executive director.

The big picture

Mohawk, located at 912 Red River St., is celebrating its 20th anniversary on the downtown entertainment corridor. It's a member of the Red River Cultural District, created in 2017 in part to promote area venues and businesses during a time of change downtown.

Red River now estimates its member venues and businesses have contributed billions of dollars in economic impacts over the past several years. And the district has continued to receive civic recognition and financial backing, including annual cultural funding of more than $150,000.

However, district leaders also say support is falling short as years of development activity and rising costs downtown have increased pressures on local business. In a recent open letter, officials called for action from City Hall in response to a recent wave of closures including Feels So Good, Koriente, Marlow, Valhalla and Empire Control Room and Garage—a past recipient of millions of dollars from Austin's cultural trust.

"The city has already told us, in its own words and its own votes, that this district is worth protecting," the letter states. "What’s needed now is the follow-through the city has been promising since the early 1990s."

Zooming in

Members of the cultural district and other downtown entities gathered Sept. 30 to celebrate Mohawk's grant-funded neon signage. Mohawk owner James Moody said the addition represents "stability, creativity, growth" for the venue after two decades in business in the Red River community.

“If we think about all of our friends that have been working in clubs on this street, there’s been so many that have opened and closed that are all still friends with us. There are clubs that aren’t here anymore where a big chunk of the staff still works here," Moody said. "We all do stick together as the clubs come and go. But we wanted to represent, even though we know there’s a lot of change and a lot of concern for how we manage Red River in the future, we wanted to also say there’s some good stuff happening too.”

Moody also noted the venue's facade improvement fits into broader placemaking efforts along the Red River corridor. The district is backing a range of improvements and programming from signage and banners to streetscape improvements and historic exhibits.

“If you look at all the materials out there and what everyone is saying about what the future of this place could be, it’s pretty damn exciting. So hopefully we can be a part of that for a long time to come," he said.

Klepadlo said the Red River district has a growing financial and tourism impact through its established venues, and by connecting projects like the Moody Center, new Austin Convention Center and expanded Waterloo Greenway.

“It truly is the threads that are connecting some of these really significant investments that are happening in our downtown right now," she said of the district. "This is an important moment to recognize these are the places that people are thinking about when they’re coming to visit Austin, and this neon is a strong representation for the 20 years they have had and the next 20 years to come."

The cost

Mohawk's new sign was funded through the first round of the Downtown Austin Alliance's $65,000 Facade Improvement Grant Program. So far, program grants to six businesses along Red River and Sixth streets have leveraged more than $140,000 in private investments, according to the nonprofit downtown advocacy group.

“That’s exactly the type of momentum we want to see. We hope to grow this program continuously with other partners," DAA President and CEO Davon Barbour said. "We’re really, really excited and proud to be a partner here.”

Applications for the next round of the DAA facade program close Oct. 8.