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City outlines new Downtown Strategic Office, cites early Sixth Street pilot gains
Summary
Deputy City Manager John Fortune and policy adviser Rob Trevino briefed the Austin Downtown Commission on Sept. 17 on the Downtown Strategic Initiative, the creation of a two-person Downtown Strategic Office and early public-safety and mobility results from the Sixth Street pilot program.
Deputy City Manager John Fortune told the Austin Downtown Commission on Sept. 17, 2025, that the city is standing up a Downtown Strategic Office to coordinate downtown projects across departments and outside partners and that two initial staff positions — a downtown strategic officer and a community solutions officer — are expected to be filled within about 60 days.
"This initiative really started with a vision from the mayor who has a deep passion for making sure that the downtown is a vibrant, safe, and and, economically vibrant community," Fortune said, describing a council resolution passed earlier in the year that directed the city manager to create the initiative.
The office is intended as a convener, not a direct manager of other departments, Fortune said. He described the initial focus as setting a structure for interdepartmental coordination across areas including mobility, arts and culture, public safety, and parks.
Rob Trevino, a policy adviser to Fortune, summarized near-term work on East Sixth Street launched under a city pilot. He said the city assembled a multidisciplinary task force that includes Austin Police Department, Austin Fire, Austin-Travis County EMS, Development Services,…
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