Austin Cultural Trust

To support acquisition and preservation of arts, cultural, and music spaces within Austin.

In 2018, the City of Austin resolved to support a community arts stabilization trust, the Austin Cultural Trust, that would create, through purchase and long-term lease, affordable spaces that support artists and arts organizations, preserves historic and iconic cultural buildings and creates new spaces for creative and cultural uses, and functions in a way that provides for cultural assets to exist in all parts of the city. Building off of significant community engagement and work by the City of Austin (2016 CAMP Report, Thriving Places, CSAP Program, Cultural Trust Request for Interest in 2020), the Music and Art Commissions and working group joint recommendations from 2020, and other ecosystem stakeholders advocacy, and following many City Council resolutions as guidance, this process advances the idea of a Trust into implementation mode. In 2020, the Austin City Council appointed the AEDC to serve as program manager to facilitate the Cultural Trust.

After a Request for Proposal (RFP) process in 2021-2022, for the initial $16.9M of public funds identified for the program (12M Creative Spaces Bond of 2018, and 4.9 M Iconic Venue Fund), the program is in full swing. Through this RFP, it was clear that there was a resounding need for over $350 Million to address the affordable space needs of just the 45 applicants. In the past two years the AEDC has been advancing a series of projects through due diligence, feasibility and project approval/advancement.

To date, 5 organizations have been announced and are underway, and additional projects are nearing announcement. Each project will receive initial investments towards their project goals, each project requires a partnership between private landowners, private arts/music organizations including complex lease and operations agreements, public funding with restrictions, and each project leverages private fundraising. All project investments will continue to support artists/community members with affordable space to work and perform, as well as provide significant economic and social impact. Most importantly they will all contribute to keeping Austin, Austin.

Recent updates below:

NEW PDC Creative Space: Public Conceptual Design Workshop - January 30 2024 A second public session regarding the design of the future creative space was held on 1/30/2024. The event included spoken word and dance performances, and this presentation from the Architects Mormon Mok: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vZVO39ulkUjjJ4tVz20jo7mrGm63sI8L/view?usp=drive_link

Additionally a conceptual 3-d Virtual Reality tour of the concept plan was provided by Seven Mile Media, and can be seen here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U3VNL07e7aPONYgOhxWC_3vL6Et7NI_D/view?usp=drive_link

Workshop Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qd697nmfOCAEu37G9nyEvsZ_cXSHKfv9/view?usp=drive_link

Interested in future events? Please email anne@austinedc.org to make sure to be on the distribution list.

NEW Austin Playhouse to receive $4.5 Million to facilitate the construction of a new building!

AEDC is pleased to announce that Austin Playhouse is to receive an investment from the 2018 Creative Spaces Bonds, approved at the December 14, 2023 City Council meeting with unanimous support.  $4.5M will be allocated to the estimated $7.5M project that will provide two new theaters, rehearsal and classroom spaces, and lobby in a new multi-purpose facility that will be open and available to the public, and is envisioned as a vibrant, inclusive, accessible, and affordable, arts center serving the City.  After being displaced as an organization multiple times, due to the increasing costs of real estate, the Playhouse will anchor this new arts center permanently and managing the facility on behalf of the Austin Cultural Trust.   More information about the project is located on the Playhouse website: BUILDING FUND | austinplayhouse

Read more here: City awards $4.5M to help Austin Playhouse construct dual-theater facility - Austin MonitorAustin Monitor

First Iconic Venue Fund Investment of $1.6M at Hole in the Wall

AEDC announced its first Iconic Venue Fund Investment on August 15th 2023. Just in time to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, AEDC was able to negotiate a long-term (20 year), stabilized lease for Hole in the Wall (2538 Guadalupe Street). This transaction demonstrates a unique partnership between an Austin property owner, a music venue operator, the AEDC, on behalf of the City of Austin, in order to create a long-term opportunity for a historic live music venue to remain in Austin and thrive.

Austin Monitor Austin American Statesman KUT (Austin NPR)

Most Importantly—Go see a show!: OUR STORY | Hole in the Wall (holeinthewallaustin.com)

Special Events at the PDC creative Arts Space 24 May 2023 and October 6, 2023

Video of Blessing ‘This is the Place’ Announcement Press Release

The AEDC is excited to announce that Rude Mechs and Austin Bat Cave, will be the two organizations who will be Facility Manager/Anchor Performing Arts organization and Programming Parnter, respectively. These displaced organizations were selected from the RFP process as needing new space, and the 7,000 SF at the Permitting and Development Center (PDC) will be transformed into a new performance black box with accompanying lobby, rehearsal space/classroom space, and non -profit working space.

Program Update 5.1.23

We were grateful to have support from the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Policy who spent the past year looking at the current program, benchmarking with other national programs, and starting to help us think of our next steps. If you are interested, please see the presentation here, and see them present their project, starting at minute 37:20: https://youtu.be/Ms1qFIqyR8A. We will be reviewing these findings with the broader ecosystem to finalize our program next steps. Stay tuned, and please send any comments to anne@austinedc.org

Program Update 12.8.22: The Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is thrilled to announce that last week the Austin City Council approved up to $2.4M in funding for the Cultural Trust program to accomplish the first two projects to be announced in the program. AEDC, working with the creative community and our partners at the City of Austin, continues to advance additional projects in the pipeline that will help secure our iconic venues, existing creative spaces, and provide new production/performance spaces to retain a vibrant innovative creative sector.

Millennium Youth complex among first sites considered for creative space bond funds - Austin MonitorAustin Monitor

City Council Worksession 12.6.22 Presentation Video (starts at Minute 3:28)

The 2021-2022 RFP has closed. We thank the organizations in arts/music/culture and making, the creative economy, who have submitted proposals and their space needs for this first round of consideration. The initial submissions are being evaluated. Project updates will be posted here.

Program Update 11.7.2022 & 11.14.2022- Presentation to the Music & Arts commissions. Presentation is here

Program Update 7.18.22 - Presentation to the Music & Arts Commissions to provide a program update on the process. Presentation is here. Links to the meetings music commission . Arts Commission will be posted when available.

Program Update 5.19.22-A program update provided to all submitters to the RFP: Video and Presentation

Although the formal application process is closed, we welcome inquiries from additional music, arts, cultural organizations—tell us your stories and needs. Please contact anne@austinedc.org for more information.

Cultural Trust Program Investments & RFP Process

The projects will be identified through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process.  This RFP is an opportunity for organizations providing quality cultural arts, music, and other creative programming, faced with the growing costs of Austin real estate, to access long-term affordable space with financial and technical support from the City and AEDC. Projects will be evaluated based on the organization’s fiscal and operational capacity, project feasibility, and the organization’s demonstration of, and commitment to, diversity, equity and inclusion.

AEDC seeks proposals from qualifying respondents, organizations and operators of arts programming, to this RFP for the following two initiatives:

Preservation of existing operating spaces and entering into long-term agreements to acquire/secure cultural arts and music venues currently occupied by operators. This initiative is designed to help preserve and maintain the continued operation of venues that are at risk of displacement due to economic constraints. Qualifying Respondents under this initiative are operators who enhance Austin’s cultural vitality and increase public access to creative arts and culture and who desire to remain in their existing facilities.

Acquisition or construction of new creative facilities space to support equitable access to affordable space for diverse cultural arts and music venues. This initiative is designed to provide new facilities and space for creative and cultural uses. These spaces will be managed by AEDC and may be shared or occupied among selected Respondents and could include multiple types of cultural and music space. Qualifying Respondents under this initiative are members of Austin's creative and cultural community in search of creative arts and cultural facilities for the preservation and expansion the cultural and music ecology of Austin.

For both initiatives described above, projects may include but are not limited to, live music venues, performing arts venues, visual art creation and exhibition facilities, nonprofit arts organizations, iconic venues, and other spaces where creative work happens. Eligible projects must be a music or cultural arts venue within the City of Austin generally available for use and enjoyment by the public with consistent utilization and must meet other minimum requirements as provided in the RFP.

Through this RFP, AEDC will develop a project pipeline that will provide ongoing insight into the needs for arts/culture/music spaces in Austin.  Respondents' proposals will be selected and prioritized based upon the selection criteria described in this RFP. These selection criteria are designed to achieve the Program Priorities, while also balancing the need to establish a viable Cultural Trust, taking into account feasibility, cost, operational experience, and financial capacity, including sufficient capacity to contribute up front to the proposed project as well as having sufficient capital reserves to continue operations, scaled to the final space solution.

 

Program Priorities

  • Facilitating the acquisition and preservation of existing cultural arts and music venues as well as the creation of new cultural arts and music venues that are affordable and available for use by organizations and the public benefit the City's creative and cultural communities.

  • Achieve diversity, equity and inclusion through the projects selected

  • Provide permanent affordability for cultural and creative purposes.

  • Create a sustaining pipeline of Cultural Trust projects as funding sources continue to become available.

Through the implementation of the Cultural Trust, AEDC seeks to help Austin’s existing cultural arts and music venues, operators, and organizations maintain affordable access to space and prevent displacement by reducing exposure to market rate rent increases and other operating and administrative expenses (including property tax escalations where appropriate and legally permitted). The Cultural Trust will preserve and expand the cultural and music ecology of Austin by supporting organizations and venues that increase broad and equitable access to participate and engage with Austin’s unique music and cultural arts community.

2022 Investments & Current Funding

With an initial $16.9 million committed by the City for initial investments, intends to collaborate with arts and music organizations to identify initial investments made into qualifying projects in 2022-23. The initial funding includes a $12 million Creative Facilities Bond (2018), $2.4 million from Hotel Occupancy Tax Funds (HOT) for Iconic Venue Fund, and $2.5 million of a 15 million City of Austin General Fund allocation.

 

Questions? 

Send an email to anne@austinedc.org.

RFP Events

In addition to the sessions below, AEDC offered over 30+ hours of office hours to address questions from participants in the process.

October 20: Virtual Public Information Session 9:00-9:30 AM CT : Recording found HERE

November 4: Zoom Panel @ 5-6 PM Please see Video and Slide Deck

November 10: Project Feasibility - Real Estate Financial Resources, Virtual 12:00-1:00pm Please see Video and Slide Deck

December 8 RFP Detailed Program and RFP Overview , Q&A Session. Please see Video and Slide Deck

December 17- Deadline for Formal Questions: Please submit all questions to anne@austinedc.org. Cumulative Q&A can be found here: Q&A

January 14, 2022 - ‘Early Decision’ Applications (RFP Responses, not just Registration) Accepted through 11:59PM

February 9, 2022: Public Information Session, via Zoom 9-10 a.m. Please see Video and Slide Deck

February 23, 2022: 12-1 PM Technical Assistance Session, National Philanthropic Perspectives on Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Video and Slide Deck

March 1, 2022: 12-1 PM Technical Assistance Session, Translating Vision/Business Model into Space Program, Video

March 9, 2022: 12-1 PM Technical Assistance Session, Sustaining Community Momentum Before/Between Spaces Video

March 31, 2022 - Final Deadline for Round 1

May 31,2022- Final Deadline for ‘Pipeline Only’ submissions, 11:59 PM CT

Additional Materials:

How does the AEDC develop this program?

The Cultural Trust Advisory Committee is an open subcommittee of the AEDC Board of Directors designed to help provide relevant technical and program expertise from the culture, arts and music communities into the process of developing the Program.  We are still open for members, but will reach our limit at 20.