Mexican American Cultural Center In Austin Set For Expansion

AUSTIN, TX — City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department officials are poised to launch the next phase of expansion for the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center — efforts for which community members can provide input, officials said Tuesday.

The Phase 2 implementation of the center colloquially known as the MACC counts on input from the public via the SpeakUp Austin ESB-MACC page in English and Spanish, officials noted. To that end, feedback for the Building Program stage of implementation will be open through Feb. 7.

Background

The 2018 Plan was adopted on May 24, 2018 by the Austin City Council. In Fall 2018, Austin passed Proposition B to fund the next phase of the ESB-MACC. This bond awarded $128 million to libraries, museums and cultural arts facilities, $27 million of which was identified to fund Phase 2 of the ESB-MACC. This funding includes general renovations to the existing building, as well as building out the original crescent design to provide additional amenities. Phase 2 also addresses numerous site improvements, most notably the Gran Entrada, which provides a park-like entry from Rainey Street to the ESB-MACC.

Current funding will allow for partial improvements under Phase 2 following the 2018 Plan. Step 1 of the project will focus on the Building Program to identify which aspects of the 2018 Plan can be implemented with the limited funds. For this part of implementation, the Project Team is consulting with the community to identify the most pressing needs that can be achieved with the available funds, officias said.

For additional information, visit the project webpage.