August 2025 ECC Neighborhood Meeting

Hello Neighbors,

Our August neighborhood meeting will take at the brand new RBJ Residences (1320 Art Dilly Dr). This month, we’ll focus on planning Fall events and proposed updates to our bylaws. See below for the full agenda and updates.

Table of Contents

• Announcements

  • Meeting Location for August

  • Noticed That Our Neighborhood Needs More Trees?

• Events

  • Pride 2025 Parade + Festival

  • SAVE THE DATE: COMMUNITY EVENTS

    • Saturday, September 27: WHAT’S UP BARRIO?

    • Tuesday, October 7th: ECC National Night Out

• I-35 Contruction Updates

  • Closures and Communications

  • What’s behind the Huge Sound Walls?

• Neighborhood Initiatives

  • Hybrid Parking Initiative Update

  • Angel House / Homeless Neighborhood Initiative

Announcements

Meeting Location for August

To connect with more people and places in our neighborhood, ECC is periodically meeting at different locations in the neighborhood. August’s meeting will be hosted by the newly constructed RBJ Residences (1320 Art Dilly Dr), in the Ladybird Community Center on the first floor. Free parking is available in the garage on on the street, and the Community Center is accessible from the front entrance.

Do you know a great location to host a neighborhood meeting? Please reply to this email and let us know!

Noticed That Our Neighborhood Needs More Trees?

Great, you’re not alone! Numerous folks have reached out to highlight new grant opportunities from the City. According to the City’s Tree Priority map, we do need more trees.

ECC can apply on behalf of our neighborhood, but that begs the questions: which parts of our neighborhood have the most need, and who can lead the effort to plant them? Please reply to this email if you have ideas, inputs or want to volunteer.

Below, I’ve highlighted two grant opportunities currently available:

Events

Pride 2025 Parade + Festival

SAVE THE DATE: COMMUNITY EVENTS

Saturday, September 27: WHAT’S UP BARRIO?

ECC & Austin Public Library are co-hosting a neighborhood event at Terrazas Library on September 27 that will include a Soccer Tournament, Food Trucks, Music, and Kid-friendly activities.

Tuesday, October 7th: ECC National Night Out

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. ECC plans to host an event this year in partnership with APD and a local church or business. Please reply to this email if you would like participate in planning the event.

I-35 Contruction Updates

Closures and Communications

As many of you have no doubt observed, there’s been flurry of construction around the entrance of our neighborhood. TXDoT has notified us of the following closures:

• The northbound I-35 Cesar Chavez entrance ramp is closed through early 2026.

• The southbound I-35 frontage road at River Street is closed through mid-2028.

• The Brushy Street entrance at both East Cesar Chavez Street and the northbound I-35 frontage road is closed through 2029.

We’ve received feedback that perhaps a more timely information would help with daily commutes, and we’re working with TXDoT on improving communication going forward. In the meantime, please note the following resources:

• Long-term closures: Email notifications and Central project segment webpages.

  • Lady Bird Lake segment

  • Drainage Tunnel and Pump Station segment

• Short-term closures or traffic impacts: X posts (formerly Twitter) @TxDOTAustin.

• Localized neighborhood access or detour: NextDoor posts.

What’s behind the Huge Sound Walls?

The short answer is, they’re digging very big holes. To see how big, take a look at the video below.

Federal Funding Update

You may have recently read in the news that the Federal government rescinded a $105M grant previously awarded for the I-35 caps adjacent to our neighborhood, and you maybe wondering, “should I be worried?”

For now, the answer is no. City Council remains committed to capping the highway regardless of federal funding. The City (and taxpayers) will have to figure out ways to close the gap, but the next administration could decide restore the funding. We’ll keep you updated.

Neighborhood Initiatives

Hybrid Parking Initiative Update

Update: City Staff recently provided a detailed update to the Community Development Commission with details about Phase 1 beginning in October. You can see the presentation here.

Background: The ECC Team is working with the City to develop a “hybrid” parking zone to help alleviate parking challenges across the ECC neighborhood.

Angel House / Homeless Neighborhood Initiative

Update: No substantive updates from City Staff or APD to report.

Background: Our community collectively sent a detailed letter to Mayor Watson, City Manager Broadnax, and City Council outlining shared concerns and requesting immediate support for the ECC neighborhood. The letter was endorsed by a broad cross-section of our community, including members from 25 small business and non-profit organizations, and included 50 impact statements. Our team is now meeting monthly with David Gray, Homeless Strategy Office, to discuss progress and share feedback.

Thanks for participating in our community! -ep

Eric Pace, Chair
ECCNA/NPCT