Red River Cultural District announces 5-year strategic plan, improvements

Red River is home to over 40 local businesses, including hotels and retail stores, all located between Fifth and 15th streets. The district is home to Austin staples, including Stubb’s, Chess Club and 13th Floor.

It’s also known for its annual festivals, Free Week and Hot Summer Nights, which generated nearly $5 million in economic impact last year, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

The update

The strategic plan was developed with insights from key stakeholders, including local businesses, musicians, property owners and more, to develop a vision for the future, according to the district.

Proposed updates and changes from the plan include:

• Neon signage for existing buildings and venues
• District banners and pedestrian signage
• Solar-powered street lights and exterior venue lighting
• Planting new trees along Red River
• Pedestrian safety improvements

Project funding

In order for the district to move forward with the proposed updates, its goal is to have sustainable and diverse funding sources, including public funding and partnerships. According to the cultural districts plan, some strategies depend on support from city departments for “funding, policy alignment or implementation,” while other initiatives can be carried out by businesses and partners.

At the press conference, Downtown Austin Alliance announced that Mohawk is one of its newest recipients for the Facade Improvement Grant Program, which provides funding to businesses and stakeholders for exterior updates.

Managing the impact

The district’s announcement comes nearly two weeks after unveiling its first economic impact report by AngelouEconomics on April 2. The report showed over $2.3 billion in economic impact over the last five years from more than 12 live music venues.

“It's not just one weekend or a couple of weekends or one festival,” Patton said at the press conference. “Those are all great, but this is sustained throughout the year, and it's really complementary to some of those other iconic events that we have in the city.”

In their own words

“The future of Red River requires commitment,” Klepadlo said at the press conference.

“We invite our partners, policy makers, business, artists [and] community members to invest and advocate for this space. I want to stress this is a launch—it's a beginning. It's a continuation of the work that we've been doing.”

One more thing

The Red River Cultural District will continue to roll out new projects next month with the launch of Cultural Currents, a storytelling project for the district. More information is expected to come mid-May, according to the press conference.