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 sparked debate over the building’s architectural character, historic significance and community value during February’s Historic […]
Preservation
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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 closure in 2018. On account of the building’s association with an 86-year-old family business, Oden […]
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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 landmark status as the Franzetti building in 1977 and reappearing decades later in a campaign […]
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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 first addressing the case earlier this month, City Council declined to vote on the decision […]
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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 Trail came to the commission in 2017, but repeated postponements and posturing toward initiating historic […]
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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 Vanessa Fuentes were off the dais. Will Houston, the managing partner for the owner, initially […]
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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 a 7-2 vote, with commissioners Terri Myers and Ben Heimsath in opposition. “And another one […]
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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 Landmark Commission halted a demolition permit for the circa-1912 warehouse at 301 San Jacinto Blvd., […]
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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 come with their own set of requirements for the rehab. On the city’s end, that […]
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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 oppose historic zoning but are willing to negotiate alternatives to demolition. Commissioners elected to use […]
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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 owner’s wishes to embark on a new development, commissioners presented overwhelming evidence that the property […]
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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 Parks and Recreation Department hosted the open house to give community members an opportunity to […]