Downtown Austin Alliance launches new economic recovery plan

The Downtown Austin Alliance announced on Tuesday a new economic recovery plan for downtown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As an organization with a sole purpose of enhancing the vitality and value of downtown, combined with the experience and leadership we have had in many of Austin's well-known design initiatives, projects and strategic plans and visions, the Downtown Austin Alliance is uniquely qualified to lead the way for downtown Austin's renaissance," CEO Dewitt Peart said in a statement.

"Roadmap to Recovery" will run through the spring of 2021 and consists of four phases: discovery, visioning, mapping and action.

The Downtown Austin Alliance's "Roadmap to Recovery" consists of four phases.(Downtown Austin Alliance)

Between now and early 2021, the discovery phase will include focus groups, interviews, workshops and surveys to determine how the pandemic has impacted Austinites.

Based on the findings, the visioning phase will develop key indicators by which to measure success, according to the specific economic sectors that drive downtown, such as the hotel, restaurant and bar, and music industries.

The mapping phase will focus on positioning downtown for a quick recovery, and the action phase will focus on implementing, monitoring and adapting the roadmap to ensure it is successful in attracting visitors and businesses to the city.

"Our goal is to help businesses recover and facilitate engagement with downtown by employees, residents, visitors and creatives," Peart said.

The alliance has been involved in other recovery efforts since the pandemic began, including increasing cleaning protocols downtown and creating an economic impact index.

The Downtown Austin Alliance has been involved in measuring the economic impact of the pandemic on downtown businesses. (Downtown Austin Alliance)

It has also advocated for relief locally, regionally and nationally, and its leadership has served on the Opening Central Texas Task Force.