The KUT News livestream happened on Monday. Click here or scroll below to watch.
Austin is facing a major decision this week that could shape what downtown looks like for generations. Should the city — already facing a $33 million shortfall next fiscal year — pay to cover Interstate 35 with parks, athletic fields, performance spaces and buildings up to two stories tall?
The Texas Department of Transportation has already begun a massive project to expand the highway and lower the main lanes below ground level from Holly Street to Airport Boulevard. Now, the state agency wants a decision by the end of the month on how many highway parks Austin intends to build, and how it will pay for the first phase.
Building all 26 acres of caps over the highway would cost at least $1.4 billion with annual maintenance costs estimated at almost $50 million.
But Austin doesn't have to pony up immediately. The question before Council on Thursday will be how many of the support columns to build. Future-proofing the highway for the full suite of highway decks would cost $244 million. TxDOT says it's prohibited from using highway money on the parks or associated infrastructure.
A 15% downpayment would be required by 2026. The rest would be paid in installments as the contractor completes the work.
The City Council is split. Some fear spending limited city resources to build the most expensive parks in Austin would drain money from competing priorities like affordable housing and preparing for flooding and wildfires.
The issue is complex. It's also super important. So we're taking the time to go deep. Join us for a livestream on Monday at noon. We'll hear directly from council members in support of and opposed to the caps. And we'll take a closer look at the fine details of the options facing the city as the decision deadline ticks closer. If you miss the livestream, you can watch the recording below:
