AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/economic-development/)
Attend Saturday’s event virtually or in person at the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. “Building Black Wealth in Austin” will reflect on the past, present and future of housing in Austin.
Austin United Alliance will update residents from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 about the Laramie State Bank project. The Soul City Corridor and other economic issues also will be discussed.
City transportation officials are asking West Side residents to complete a 16-question survey about improvements being made to Chicago Avenue, from Austin Boulevard to Cicero Avenue. The deadline to give input on the survey is Sept. 22.
City officials recently briefed West Side residents on the $21 million Austin corridor improvement project. The goal of the project, which covers Chicago Avenue from Austin Boulevard to Cicero Avenue, is to provide a safe, walkable and attractive street that will foster community and economic growth.
Austin business operators who want to help make Austin a competitive commercial district are invited to a meeting Aug. 2, which will be held at Kehrein Center for the Arts at 5628 W. Washington Blvd. Come in person or participate via live stream.
Austin has a new community space, at the corner of Chicago and Lockwood avenues. City officials say it’s just a taste of what’s to come in terms of investment on the West Side.
The Austin United Alliance will hold a wealth-building webinar – “A Blueprint for Accessing the Capital We’ve Been Waiting For” – at 10 a.m. June 16. The focus will be on how to narrow the racial wealth gap that impacts Austin and other West Side communities.
West Side United awarded 39 businesses $10,000 grants in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to help keep them afloat. Another round of funding will open in September.
West Side residents received updates Friday on the status of the Laramie State Bank building development and new businesses opening along the Soul City Corridor, which stretches from Austin Boulevard to Cicero Avenue on Chicago Avenue.
The Chicago Department of Planning and Development hosted two community roundtables last week to get West Side residents’ input on proposals for developing the Laramie State Bank and surrounding land. Attendees expressed concern over how the projects would grow wealth, benefit the Black community and ensure community engagement.