City of Austin task force to make plans to protect Red River music venues

Some City of Austin entities and local groups are coming together to form a "task force" to watch over the Red River Cultural District (RRCD), a strip of downtown venues that platform mostly local artists and have near-constant music programming.

A message from Austin Mayor Kirk Watson on the City of Austin Council Message Board acknowledges that the City has not previously spared RRCD from its precarious position in which venues are closing and the future looks uncertain.

"For decades, the City of Austin has been committed to sustaining and improving the Red River community. Even with commitment, we aren't where we want to be or should be," wrote Watson.

At the same time, he also emphasized that Old Austin is a thing of the past.

"The easiness of old Austin isn’t the reality of new Austin, and we must avoid doing a disservice to the Red River district by holding on to 'the good old days' as tight as we can," he wrote.