'Much more we need to do': Hispanic leader urges preservation of Rainey Street's history

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In 2025, most in Austin would describe Rainey Street as a downtown district where small, old homes have been converted into bars or replaced by food trucks, high-rises, and construction.

However, that was not always the case, according to the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Operating Officer Brittney Rodriguez.

According to the Austin Chronicle, in 1884, Jesse Driskill and Frank Rainey took advantage of land available around the city’s margins and created the Rainey Street neighborhood.

Initially, the neighborhood was made up of white, middle-class tradesmen. However, as Austin’s demographics saw a shift in the 20th century, those families moved to more suburban areas, and working-class and ethnic minorities moved in.

“The district didn’t come to be and wasn’t notable with the Latino community until the mid 30s, there was a devastating flood, and when that took place, there were a lot of local Latino tradesmen and business owners that established really brick and mortars, their homes, their families and cultural districts, where we congregated as a community,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez highlighted that the neighborhood saw a change in 2004 when Austin City Council passed a resolution establishing Rainey Street as a central business district in an effort to increase downtown traffic.

The GAHCC said that although it is exciting for new businesses to come to Rainey Street, it has made affordability impossible for the Latino community to continue to thrive in the area.

“Unfortunately, I think there is still much more we need to do, and a lot of that comes with the partnerships with a lot of these property developers who are coming to Austin, because these cultural hubs are such a draw,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez stressed the importance of addressing the affordability crisis and how it would impact Rainey Street if not addressed in the next 10 years.

“If we don’t do something regarding affordability, just given the massive infrastructure changes that are underway in Austin, we will absolutely lose some of these critically important remaining historical areas,” Rodrigeuz said.

Rodriguez urged that a better job needs to be done today, so that Rainey Street is a place for people to enjoy for generations to come.

“This is an area, a district that is beloved to our community. This is where so many of us mobilized during civil rights movements and as we came together as a community to make big decisions about big changes, and of course, through gentrification on the east side,” Rodriguez said. “I think we’ve all come to understand locally how critical it is to safeguard these areas that are so so important, especially to truly marginalized communities that have not always had the same opportunities for access that other communities have enjoyed.”

The GAHCC also highlighted how Austinites can do their part in preserving Rainey Street’s Hispanic roots and culture.

“I think for us, just maintaining that local cultural understanding, reverence, and appreciation for what we have on Rainey Street is going to be critical to make sure that the future of Austin remains as exciting, colorful, and welcoming as it always has been,” Rodriguez said.

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