Local Historic Districts
In December 2004, the Austin City Council authorized the establishment of local historic districts. These districts will be the most powerful tool to protect the character of our historic neighborhoods. On August 6, 2009, the City Council approved revisions to the preservation ordinance that adjusted the criteria to apply for Local Historic District status to be more in line with Austin's peer cities.
On August 20, 2007, the Heritage Society sponsored a seminar on the how to become a local historic districts. You can download the presentation by Steve Sadowsky, City of Austin Preservation Officer. Read more about the local districts and the impact they will have in Austin.
The Heritage Society is facilitating a working group of representatives from neighborhoods that are working towards local district status. This group meets monthly to hear advice and receive technical assistance from experts on forming historic districts. If your neighborhood would like to participate in these meetings, please contact information@hsaustin.org.
The Heritage Society of Austin provided a $5,000 grant to the East Cesar Chavez neighborhood to create a Local Historic District. Austin City Council Member Mike Martinez also presented the neighborhood $5,700 from the City of Austin’s Holly Good Neighbor Program for the same purpose. The East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Planning Group will use the grant funds to hire interns with preservation expertise to survey the neighborhood, conduct research and translate informational materials into Spanish. The East Cesar Chavez neighborhood includes the area bounded by Interstate 35 and Chicon and E. 7th Street to Lady Bird Lake. It is a historically working-class neighborhood with a stock of historic buildings that range from Texana-Victorian cottages to 19th Century warehouses.
