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Preservation

West Sixth Street's Iron Bear faces demolition 

The Iron Bear, an LGBTQ-friendly bar “for bears, by bears” that is open to all, is facing the prospect of relocating. A permit to demolish the bar’s West Sixth location is currently being reviewed by the city. The demolition permit…

Developer off to rocky start with unpermitted demolition of former Frisco Shop

Developers of a new housing complex may find themselves in hot water after forgoing approval to demolish the last remaining fixture of a historic restaurant chain on Burnet Road. The Frisco Shop was sold to developer Oden Hughes following its…

Renovation of historic Fontaine building postponed amid calls for more research

A proposal from new tenants of the Reverend Jacob Fontaine Gold Dollar building – the last stronghold of Austin’s oldest Freedom Colony – met resistance from the Historic Landmark Commission Monday. The building has long been on the commission’s radar, acquiring…

Budget pressures impact Council’s verdict on San Jacinto warehouse

Preservation prospects for the Nalley-Shear-Bremond warehouse at 301 San Jacinto St. appear grim. With no motion made by City Council members last Thursday, the case is effectively dead, clearing the path for developers to apply for a demolition permit. After…

Landmark commission weighs case for preserving former home of 'Statesman' editor

A case to preserve the former home of Austin American-Statesman editor Charles E. Green hit the desks of the Historic Landmark Commission this past Monday, and not for the first time. An application to demolish the building at 1505 Forest…

Council takes first vote to declare warehouse historic

On a vote of 7-2-2, City Council on Thursday approved on first reading a request for historic zoning for the property at 301 San Jacinto St. downtown. Council members Pio Renteria and Paige Ellis voted no and Greg Casar and…

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Future of El Mercado Uptown uncertain following approval of demolition permit

Nearly five decades of serving frozen margaritas and enchilada plates at 1700 Lavaca Street may be coming to an end in the near future. Finding insufficient support for historic zoning, the Historic Landmark Commission approved an application for 1700 Lavaca Street’s demolition in…

Planning Commission rejects historic zoning for San Jacinto warehouse

The Planning Commission Tuesday voted against historic zoning for a former warehouse in downtown Austin, siding with the property owner who wants to demolish the building over preservationists seeking to save it. The case began last year when the Historic…

Design Commission gives nod to bathhouse project

With the unanimous blessing of the city’s Design Commission, plans to renovate and and restore the historic Barton Springs Bathhouse continue to move forward. Barton Springs’ 1947 bathhouse is unimpeachably historic, with city, state and federal historic designations that all…

Landmark commission experiments with new postponement tool

The Historic Landmark Commission is taking a fresh approach to resisting demolition, opting to indefinitely postpone several cases at its Nov. 15 meeting. After consulting with the city’s legal department, staffers recommended using the new tool in cases where applicants…

A win for preservationists at historic San Jacinto warehouse

Austin’s warehouse district is on the way to gaining one more protected landmark as of this past Monday, after the Historic Landmark Commission rejected an application to demolish a historic grocery warehouse at 301 San Jacinto Blvd. Despite the property…

Montopolis school for Black students reopened its doors as neighborhood fights for preservation

Montopolis Negro School, a segregation-era grade school for Black children, reopened its doors on Saturday, welcoming Montopolis residents new and old, including some former students, back to an alma mater that hasn’t operated as a school in 60 years. The…

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