Austin Revitalization Authority

What Austin Revitalization Authority does

Austin Revitalization Authority (ARA) is a private, non-profit community development corporation founded in 1995 and headquartered at 1154 Lydia Street in Austin, Texas, within the African American Cultural Heritage District. The organization engages in commercial, residential, and cultural development across the East 11th and 12th Street Commercial Corridors, with a mission framed as "Respect, Restore, Revitalize." Its core activities include historic preservation (Haehnel Building, Herman Schieffer House, Travis County Negro Agricultural Extension Office), affordable housing development (Juniper-Olive Historic District, 18 units; HomeTowne at Picadilly Apartments, 168 units), commercial redevelopment (Street-Jones & Snell Buildings at $12.4M, 54,000 sq. ft.), public infrastructure (Dr. Charles E. Urdy Plaza, 11th & Juniper streetscape), cultural programming (Black History Month, Juneteenth, Austin Studio Tour exhibitions), and fiscal sponsorship services for community organizations and artists.

ARA has invested more than $50 million in residential and commercial real estate projects and community programs over its 25-year history, supporting 400+ tenants, residents, partners, and stakeholders. Its commercial revenue is generated through leasing of 65,000+ square feet of owned office and retail space to anchor tenants including Wells Fargo Bank, the City of Austin Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Office, and the City of Austin Equal Employment/Fair Housing Office. Supplementary revenue comes from special events (annual Dr. Charles Urdy Golf Tournament, SoulFest, Juneteenth celebrations) and administrative fees on fiscal sponsorship of grant-funded community organizations. The organization operates under a Board of Directors chaired by Willis Hunt with Dr. Charles Urdy as Chairman Emeritus, and is led by President & CEO Gregory L. Smith, who has held the role since 2009.

The organization's competitive positioning is built on three pillars: (1) regulatory designation as the first African American Cultural Heritage District in Texas (2007); (2) deep community relationships with the Austin Area Urban League, Huston-Tillotson University, Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce, and 25+ partner organizations; and (3) a portfolio of historic-restored commercial and residential assets concentrated in the East Austin corridor. Key strategic risks include the 2010 termination of the Tri-Party Agreement with the City of Austin as preferred developer, and reliance on a small set of anchor tenants for commercial leasing revenue.

Name

Austin Revitalization Authority

Legal name

Austin Revitalization Authority

Website

https://austinrev.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Austin Revitalization Authority (ARA) is a 1995-founded, non-profit community development corporation that operates in Austin's East 11th and 12th Street corridors, owning 65,000+ sq. ft. of commercial space, developing affordable housing, restoring historic buildings, and serving African American and underserved communities in Central Texas through real estate, cultural programming, and fiscal sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Non-Operating Establishments (9995), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Community development corporation
• Historic preservation services
• Affordable housing development
• Commercial real estate leasing
• Fiscal sponsorship services

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Commercial Real Estate Leasing: ARA owns and operates over 65,000 square feet of office and retail space. Revenue is generated through leasing commercial spaces to tenants including government offices, banks, law firms, and other businesses in the East Austin corridor.
2. Special Events and Fundraisers: The organization hosts events including SoulFest concerts, Juneteenth celebrations, Black History Month exhibitions, and the annual Dr. Charles Urdy Golf Tournament to raise funds for community programs and operations.
3. Fiscal Sponsorship Services: ARA acts as fiscal agent for community organizations, artists, and cultural events, enabling them to access grant funding from the City of Austin Community Initiative Program and other sources. Administrative fees or percentages may be earned on managed funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Austin Revitalization Authority (ARA) is a private, non-profit community development corporation that develops, restores, and manages residential and commercial real estate in East Austin's African American Cultural Heritage District. Its core offerings include affordable housing development, historic preservation and adaptive reuse of landmark buildings, commercial leasing of office and retail spaces, fiscal sponsorship for community organizations and artists, and cultural programming such as BIPOC art exhibitions and community events.

Product overview

Austin Revitalization Authority (ARA) is a private, non-profit community development corporation offering a portfolio of historic preservation, residential, and commercial real estate development products and services. Core offerings include restoration of historic buildings (Haehnel Building, Herman Schieffer House, Travis County Negro Agricultural Extension Office), affordable housing development (Juniper-Olive Historic District), commercial redevelopment (Street-Jones & Snell Buildings), and public infrastructure (Dr. Charles E. Urdy Plaza, Street Scaping and Arch Gateway). Supporting services include community art exhibitions, annual golf tournament fundraising, mobile food vendor court management, and fiscal sponsorship for cultural organizations. ARA operates within the African American Cultural Heritage District, serving East Austin and underserved communities through Respect, Restore, and Revitalize initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• African American Cultural Heritage District A designated Black cultural arts district in East Austin focused on preserving African American heritage through urban revitalization, public arts, and creative place-making. Operates as a community resource for cultural programming and historic preservation.
• Haehnel Building / Shorty's Bar Restoration Historic restoration of an 1875 commercial building now leased to Edwards Law Firm as a 4,200 square foot office building, representing collaborative architecture and community redevelopment.
• Juniper-Olive Historic District An 18-unit affordable housing development restoring ten historic homes and adding eight new construction houses on two city blocks in Central East Austin, serving low-income families at or below 80% of area median income.
• Street-Jones & Snell Buildings $12.4 million, 54,000 square foot commercial redevelopment housing retail on the first floor and office spaces on remaining floors, with 190 total parking spaces, leased to anchor tenants including Wells Fargo Bank and City of Austin offices.
• Dr. Charles Urdy Golf Tournament Annual golf tournament fundraiser supporting community programs, property tax town halls, community initiative programs, and cultural development activities at ARA.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 tenants, residents, partners and stakeholders supported through ARA development area projects and programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Capital MetrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with public transit authority on $3 million streetscape project including bus pull-ins, bus stop shelters, and new sidewalks. Capital Metro collaboration helped secure US Department of Transportation federal funding for East 11th Street improvements.
• City of Austin Department of Cultural and Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARA partners with the City of Austin's Department of Cultural and Economic Development to curate four multicultural artist exhibitions each year, free and open to the public, with final exhibitions featured in pop-up galleries throughout the city.
• Wells Fargo BankmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWells Fargo Bank serves as anchor tenant in the Street-Jones building, providing banking services to the community. The partnership supports economic development in the East 11th Street corridor.
• City of Austin Neighborhood Housing and Community Development OfficemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnchor tenant in Street-Jones building occupying office space for housing and community development programs. Represents city investment in the redevelopment corridor.
• InTown HomesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARA formed a strategic partnership with InTown Homes to acquire Block 17 for the development of 16 townhomes, with two units sold to income-qualified families.
• C.P. Snider Construction Co.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction company that won the bid for Haehnel Building restoration (budget $650,000-$850,000). Company is also responsible for renovations of the Driskill Hotel, Paramount Theater, and Capitol press offices.
• Austin Area Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization supporting ARA's mission. One of several African American community organizations and leaders that sit on ARA's Board of Directors.
• Huston-Tillotson UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorically Black university and Board member organization. Important cultural institution in the community located near the Juniper-Olive Historic District.
• Greater Austin Black Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization representing Black business interests in Austin. Collaborates with ARA on economic development initiatives.
• Ebenezer Baptist Church and Economic Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with church and its economic development corporation contributed to dramatic crime reduction in the area (from over 400 police calls to 12 calls) alongside ARA's purchase and shutdown of the East Room nightclub.
• Anderson Community Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARA managed construction of a single-family affordable housing unit on behalf of Anderson CDC in 2011. Both organizations work on community development in East Austin.
• Austin Outreach and Community Service Center (AOCSC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA serves as fiscal agent for AOCSC, which provides HIV education and prevention services for African Americans. ARA helps the organization apply for grants with the City of Austin.
• Center for Health Empowerment (CHE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA was fiscal agent for CHE, which received $59,000 in funding from City of Austin Health and Human Services for the CHE PreP Project providing HIV education.
• Urban Health ExpominorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA was fiscal agent for this collaborative health and wellness event bringing together over 30 key players to promote health in the Black and Latino community of Central Texas.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central TexasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA was a bronze sponsor of the Ice Ball Gala which raised over $800,000 for children in Central Texas.
• NAACP DeWitty/Overton ChapterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA supported the 54th Annual NAACP DeWitty/Overton Freedom Fund Banquet with over 900 attendees.
• Capital City Black Film FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA serves as fiscal agent for this festival celebrating African American filmmakers, part of Austin's growing film scene.
• Soul Food Truck FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerARA became fiscal sponsor of this event in 2019 to support local Black and Brown mobile food truck businesses. The festival showcases hidden mobile food truck gems specializing in Afro-Caribbean cuisine.
• DAWA ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with DAWA (a COVID-19 relief program) provides financial assistance to musicians, artists, social workers, educators, healthcare workers, and service industry staff of color facing financial distress.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Huston-Tillotson University: Historically Black university in East Austin, listed as a board member organization of ARA. Comparable as a culturally anchored institution serving the African American community in the same geography, though focused on education rather than real estate development.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution (CDFI) that invests in affordable housing, economic development, and community health across the U.S. Directly comparable as a scaled-up community development corporation operating in real estate, housing, and community programs.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit focused on historic preservation. Directly comparable on ARA's historic preservation work (Haehnel Building, Herman Schieffer House, Travis County Negro Agricultural Extension Office) and cultural heritage mission.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Major national nonprofit that develops affordable housing and community development projects. Comparable as a mission-driven real estate developer and community programs operator with similar multi-decade track record of place-based investment.
• The Reinvestment Fund: Philadelphia-based CDFI that finances housing, real estate, and community development. Comparable as a community-focused real estate and capital deployment organization with similar focus on underserved neighborhoods.

Direct peers

• Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce: Chamber focused on Black business economic development in Austin, a strategic ARA partner. Comparable as an organization supporting minority-owned businesses and economic equity in the same Austin market.
• Preservation Austin: Austin's local historic preservation advocacy organization. Comparable on the historic preservation dimension of ARA's mission, advocating for protection of historic places and cultural assets in Austin.
• Bridge Housing Corporation: San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit affordable housing developer. Comparable as a mission-aligned nonprofit developer producing affordable housing units in underserved communities, similar to ARA's Juniper-Olive Historic District work.
• East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC): Oakland-based community development corporation serving ethnic communities. Comparable as a CDC focused on minority community real estate development, cultural preservation, and affordable housing in an urban context similar to ARA's East Austin work.
• Austin Habitat for Humanity: Local Austin affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, focused on affordable homeownership. Directly comparable as a local nonprofit building affordable homes for low-income families in the same Austin market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/austinrev
• Facebookfacebook.com/AustinrevAuthority
• Instagraminstagram.com/austinrev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/austin-revitalization-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Austin Revitalization Authority