AUSTIN, Texas — At its meeting on Thursday, the Austin City Council is set to discuss contracts to expand the convention center, amending the land development code and more.
Here are three things to keep an eye on.
Austin Convention Center expansion
The council discussed contracts for the expansion of the Austin Convention Center. City leaders are getting ready to start the design process for the project, and they already have a few ideas in mind about what needs to be changed.
On Thursday, the council authorized the negotiation and execution of a design and engineering contract with LMN | Page, in an amount not to exceed $65 million. The council also authorized the negotiation and execution for a preconstruction and construction contract with JE Dunn/Turner, in an amount not to exceed $1.2 billion.
Leaders want to close the convention center in 2025 and reopen it with nearly double the rentable space by 2028.
Expanding land for child care facilities
The council on Thursday also approved conducting a public hearting and considering an ordinance to amend the Land Development Code to expand the land allowed to be used for child care facilities.
Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes (District 2) is one of the members behind the proposed change. She shared a map that shows how much more land would be allowed to be used for child care under the amendment. The permitted land would increase by 255%.
Settlement for police bean bag settlement
Finally, the council approved on consent a settlement with a 15-year-old girl who was hit with a bean bag round when police were trying to arrest her brother.
Body camera video obtained by the KVUE Defenders in August showed the seconds leading up to Austin Police Department (APD) officers using the "less lethal shotguns," as well as their own statements about why they fired.
Authorities say the girl was struck and injured on her upper thigh. Prosecutors said they didn't take this case to a grand jury because the girl was not seriously injured.
APD halted all use of those bean bag rounds after multiple demonstrators were injured during the 2020 social justice protests. The City of Austin has settled lawsuits with more than a dozen people since 2020, paying out nearly $19 million.