ESB-MACC Master Plan, Parks and Recreation Department, City of Austin

The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department began developing a new vision and Master Plan for the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC). The process sought public input on programming that might direct the expansion of existing or new buildings, new facilities, new shade structures, parking, landscaping and the potential redesign of the Plaza. The 12-month process was led by CasaBella Architects and a team of consultants with the to prepare design options that meet the current and future needs of the center. Cultural Strategies led all the public information and community engagement efforts to generate the necessary insights from the community to inform the architectural team. Our team developed a plan to bring key stakeholders into the process, including commercial and residential neighborhood groups, as well as families who visit or attend classes at the Center. We coordinated focus groups with artist, civic leaders, and cultural arts groups at the Center and at locations around the city to encourage participation. Each phase of the process invited public input in writing through a survey or questionnaire, one-on-one conversations with members of the design team, and through presentations at three large public meetings. Social media, news coverage, and email blasts were used to reach a broad cross section of the community in English and Spanish. In the Spring of 2018, a final design presentation was prepared for City Council, Boards and Commissions and recommended by the Advisory Board for funding consideration in the 2018 bond proposal.