Austin is prepping for the surge of festival-goers with street closures and permit evaluations in anticipation of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival next month. The Austin Center for Events has disclosed a partial shutdown of Rainey Street from Davis to River Street slated to start on March 8 and span until March 16, to make way for the expected throng of party-goers and concert attendees, according to a report by the Austin Monitor.
Further details on the street's daily open and close times are still under deliberation by the Austin Police Department. Meanwhile, the Austin Monitor notes that Annette Martinez, a division manager with the Transportation and Public Works Department, confirmed that the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, still under construction, will be largely inaccessible, except for selected parking spots allotted for rideshare services.
Bill Manno, director of the Austin Center for Events, stressed an ongoing moratorium on new on-street events in the Downtown Austin Project Coordination Zone, in recognition of numerous construction projects that pose a safety risk. This indefinite extension of the closure, starting back in 2014, was announced late last year with Manno explaining "All these projects are going to run for multiple years, so we just decided it’s indefinite," yet there could be exceptions for smaller events based on the review of impact on mobility and previously approved events in the zone.
Despite the moratorium, public assembly gatherings rooted in free speech remain unaffected. Event organizers in search of permit approval are welcomed by Manno and his staff between 9 and 11 a.m. every Tuesday, offering, open consultation windows or a chance to schedule fixed meetings, via the festival's website. Moreover, the upcoming meeting with the pedicab community this February was announced by Martinez, addressing regulations and city requirements for their services during the festival season.
The complexities and expenses of the city’s special event permitting process were brought to light by Pedro Carvalho, co-owner of the Far Out Lounge concert space in South Austin. He shared his frustrations with the permit process during the meeting, especially concerning the sound permit for live music events which comes with a high cost and limits during peak festival timings like SXSW. "We just keep having to pay almost $2,000 for every music permit that is outside of our capacity, which we can obviously fit because we get approved for it every time. I just don’t know how to get out from under it," Carvalho expressed in an interview with the Austin Monitor.
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