by Michael McGrail

Join the Austin Museum of Art for a Bastille Day celebration this Wednesday June 14th from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. 823 Congress Avenue.

Immerse your self in an Austin style celebration, commemorating the French Revolution with Austin’s first Poodle parade, French music, culinary delights, wine, a Sidewalk café, and other surprises.

The Poodle parade route begins at 6:00 p.m. at St. David’s Episcopal Church (301 E 8th Street) and proceeds north on Trinity, west on 9th, south on Congress one block, and up to the Poodle Promenade at AMoA. Of course my poodle “Bently the Downtown Poodle” will be a participant.

Tickets to the AMoA Bastille Austin party in the AMOA Gallery are $10 for AMOA Members and $15 general admission. Join AMOA today and receive a free ticket benefits. Click here for more information!

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DANA strongly encourages you to participate in this easy-to-use online forum to prioritize  Austin's 2011 budget needs. It's easy to register and vote here: (here) The online tool closes on Friday, July 9 at 5 p.m.
 
Specifically, we are asking you to vote for a dedicated downtown parks maintenance crew (here)
 
This proposal helps to restore staffing impacted by cuts in previous budget years and also helps all parks in Austin which suffer when crews get stretched thin. The downtown parks and historic squares are central to the civic pride of our community but they also get a heavier use that requires more frequent and dedicated attention to maintain. Lastly, this proposal allows DANA and its downtown partners to leverage private investment in capital improvements and programming that might otherwise dry up without that public commitment to baseline upkeep and maintenance. Please help us in supporting this priority for our city.
 
The forum provides allows you to vote on more than one priority, you might also consider the following security and social service initiatives:

• • Transitional Housing for Rehabilitation Program (here)
• • Social Services Investment Strategies–Homeless Services Continuum (here)
• • Add 35 New Police Officers (here)
•  

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What is the main component of a world-class city? It’s downtown.

Austin’s commitment to developing a unique and vibrant downtown is well known and separates Austin from other cities. How Will Austin attain its goal of a thriving, beautiful, and renowned urban oasis? With a commitment to a downtown plan, Austin will be assured that it’s future will be unparalleled. DANA knows the importance of the downtown plan and that it’s the key for attaining our place as one of the great cities of this century and beyond. Check out the city of Austin’s emphasis on downtown planning: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/#dntnplan

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Courtesy of Michael McGrail

We are so fortunate to reside in Austin. In the past year, even while in a recession, many accolades for our wonderful and unique city continue. The following is just a partial list of the recognition that Austin has received:

* MSN Travel Austin is one of the “15 Coolest North American Cities” list. (January 2009)

* Forbes placed Austin in it’s yearly “America’s 25 Strongest Housing Markets” list. (January 2009)

* MSNBC.com cited Austin #8 as one of the “Top 10 Places To Live In The U.S.” list. (January 2009)

* Texas Workforce Commission, Austin will see a 24.4% increase in employment between 2006 and 2016. (January 2009)

* Austin ranks #8 on Forbes’ “Best Place for Businesses and Careers” list.

* Forbes.com placed Austin on it’s “Best Big Cities For Jobs” list.  (April 2009)

* NewGeography.com ranked Austin #1 on it’s “Best Cities For Job Growth” list. (April 2009)

* With over 54,000 high-tech workers, Austin ranks seventh on the “Nation’s Biggest Tech Cities” list from Bizjournals.com. (May 2009)

* According to Bizjournals.com, Austin is expected to be the 5th fastest growing city from 2005-2025.

* US News ranked Austin #3 for the Best Places To Live. (June 2009)

* On Forbes’ recent “Best and Worst Cities for Recession Recovery” list, Austin was ranked #1 for the best performing city during the recession (June 2009)

And this year Austin and Central Texas were featured in the March 29, 2010 Time Magazine cover story on “Jobs: Where they are and how to find them.” as a place where innovation is driving job creation.

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Join DANA and your fellow downtown neighbors in making our urban neighborhood more livable. Enjoy light refreshments while we take this last opportunity to influence the Downtown Austin Plan's (DAP) two district-specific plans before the final draft is released. Please feel free to forward this invitation to any friends or neighbors you think would be interested in participating.
 
Downtown Austin Plan Interactive Town Hall:
Core & Waterfront District and Northwest District
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Waller Creek Center
625 E. 10th Street (map)(transit)
 
RSVP by clicking here!
 
The district plans are taking shape and the time has come to prioritize implementation of the recommendations. If you haven't engaged in the DAP before or are feeling DAP fatigue, this may be the most hands on and significant point to dig in with us.
 
Graphic summaries of the two district-specific plans can be found at:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/downloads/district_analysis_report_1-27-10_core-nw.pdf
 
The Core & Waterfront District and Northwest District plans provide specific policies, standards and guidelines for redevelopment and enhancements, including:

Location, type, and mix of land uses;
Allowable and conditional uses, density;
Form-based standards such as building typologies, height, massing, setbacks, compatibility standards, ground-level uses, parking and service treatments;
Density bonus provisions;
Preservation of historic and cultural resources;
Parks and open space;
Transportation and Streetscapes; and
Infrastructure.

More information on the DAP can be found at:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/downtownaustinplan.htm

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