BG Reads Weekend (5.11.2025)

Author

A.J. Bingham
May 11, 2025

PRESENTED BY

[TOP CLICKS OF THE WEEK]

[OUT AND ABOUT]

Presenting at the 2025 Austin Under 40 Awards (AU40) last night for the Civics, Government & Public Affairs category.

In its 26th year, AU40—hosted by the Young Men’s Business League of Austin and benefiting Austin Sunshine Camps—honors rising professionals across 18 categories, with one winner selected in each. Learn more here!

🚨 KEEP READING 🚨

The Week Ahead at Austin City Hall and Weekend News below

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[CITY OF AUSTIN]

We’re growing BG Reads and want to better understand who’s reading. Your quick answers help us shape content and build a stronger community.

[WEEKEND NEWS]

🟪 The Sixth Street transformation has begun in earnest (Austin Business Journal)

Stream Realty Partners, which owns 30% to 35% of East Sixth Street, has about 20 buildings under various forms of construction, said Paul Bodenman, senior vice president of investments.

The visible work is finally coming about five years after Stream bought the sites. Neighbors — and the entire city, frankly — have been eager to see what will become of Austin's most famous street, some of which has remained boarded up since the pandemic.

The plan is to turn “Dirty Sixth” into Old Sixth — a name that is already being plastered across the street — and transform it into an 18-hour hub that offers a safe and family-friendly environment. Bars will remain abundant but expect more shops and restaurants. Think of farmers markets on Sunday morning rather than street scrubbers removing urine and puke.

Stream wants to bring in coffee shops, soft goods and small boutique gyms, plus daytime weekend activations and events for the city. And with Royal Blue Grocery gearing up to close its Congress Avenue shop this June, Bodenman said he believes Old Sixth has a pull for that business.

Stream expects its first tenants to open toward the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027, Bodenman said, with ideally a significant number of tenants opening throughout 2027 and 2028… ✅ (READ MORE)

🟪 Thousands of residences, new public spaces planned at mixed-use North Loop development (Community Impact)

A pocket of North Loop just off Hwy. 290 is now lined up to become a mixed-use district with thousands of new residences after City Council approved of a series of zoning updates for the area this spring.

Several properties off Airport Boulevard and East Koenig Lane are now zoned under Austin's DB90 development program. The changes cover more than 13 acres, including the Leif Johnson Ford dealership and adjacent parcels.

DB90, created last year to replace a similar program that was voided in court, allows taller residential buildings with affordable housing and street-level commercial space. City leaders have already signed off on dozens of DB90 cases with potential plans for thousands of new housing units and hundreds of affordable spaces citywide.

The North Loop redevelopment is expected to begin with the northernmost property where the car dealership is now situated. Developer United Properties could also end up seeking even greater building entitlements for the southern tracts before starting construction there…  ✅ (READ MORE)

🟪 Sixth Street gets new barricades as Austin prepares for summer crowds (KUT)

Five months into a pilot program to improve safety on Sixth Street, Austin police officials said there have been fewer fights, arrests and incidents where they used force.

Late last year, Austin began reopening Sixth Street to vehicles on weekend nights, erecting barriers to keep people on newly expanded and protected sidewalks.

Water-filled, orange-and-white plastic barricades have been installed, replacing metal fences that were damaged by people leaning on them or vehicles driving over the footings.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the metal fencing was never meant to be long-term and called the new barriers another phase in the program.

"When you look at [that old fencing] and when you look at the crowds getting larger now that the summer is coming up and the weather is getting warmer, [we knew] it was time to change the barriers," she said.

The new barricades are stronger and more cost-effective, city officials said… ✅ (READ MORE)