The Austin Revitalization Authority (ARA) has been a beacon of community service and involvement in East Austin since 1995. A group of passionate community leaders recognized the disparities in economic development opportunities for people of color in Austin. Creating a safe space to advocate for cultural and real estate preservation spurred the inception of the Austin Revitalization Authority 25 years ago.
The Austin Revitalization Authority’s community involvement can be captured by simply taking a stroll down the historic East 11th street corridor. Throughout its 25-year history, ARA has invested over $50 million into residential and commercial real estate projects, programs and initiatives that support over 400 ARA development area tenants, residents, partners and stakeholders.
Several thriving Minority-Owned businesses such as banks, hair salons and restaurants call this redeveloped community home. A collection of restored buildings, owned and operated by ARA, helped to usher in the renewed spirt of a revitalized community. Austin Revitalization Authority’s vision to offer leasing spaces to minority businesses and create affordable housing units on the rapidly growing east side was an intentional effort to continue investing in the local community. Nestled in the heart of the African American Cultural Heritage District, this non-profit institution is a driving force within the Black Austin community and other underserved communities, creating access and capacity building within multiple sectors of the city of Austin’s development scene.
For 25 years, ARA has supported the preservation and cultivation of an enduring legacy of cultural heritage through the advocacy of art, music and food. You can’t travel too far down 11th street without the soulful aroma of jerk seasoning or wood-fired pits slow-cooking a delicious selection of Central Texas style BBQ filling up all your senses. In 2010, ARA invested in a mobile food truck park located at the corner of Lydia Street and East 11th street, which is home to the original location of Tony’s Jamaican Food and local neighborhood favorite, J. Leonardi’s Barbeque. The small mobile food truck park then gave birth to idea for the Soul Food Truck Festival, which was established in 2017 to give locals a taste of the hidden mobile food truck gems that specialize in cuisines of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora. Austin Revitalization Authority became the fiscal sponsor of this event in 2019 to continue the annual festival and support the local black and brown mobile food truck businesses in Austin.
The Dr. Urdy clock tower and Rhapsody mosaic is a signature monument representing the resilient essence of East Austin’s historic heritage and remains one of the most photographed and Instagram-able locations in Austin. ARA also partners with the City of Austin’s Department of Cultural and Economic Development to curate four multi-cultural artist exhibitions each year that are free and open to the public, with the final exhibition featured in pop-up galleries all over the city. As a community development corporation, it is not only important for this organization to advocate for preservation of cultural arts but also equally important to support and amplify the opportunities for the emerging local artist community and to do so year-round. ARA acts as a fiscal agent for individual artists, groups, and cultural events that are funded through a variety of grant programs offered by the city.
To date, ARA has been able to support hundreds of businesses in the corridor and plans to continue creating opportunities for community development projects and economic expansion.
For the next 25 years, Austin Revitalization Authority will continue expanding its community outreach by remaining a fixture among the greater Austin area. ARA carries on in its mission of facilitating community partnerships, building organic connections between the history of African Americans in East Austin and the sustained fortitude to continue its purpose to preserve legacy and keep community involvement as the cornerstone of their practices.