Downtown Austin Blog

downtown Austin's real estate and neighborhood blog

Paradox and Planeta are SHUT DOWN!

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by jude galligan

Bye bye Paradox! Dont let the door hit ya!
Bye bye Paradox! Don't let the door hit ya!

For months there have been rumors that Tim Finley would not renew the leases for night clubs Paradox and Planeta.  According to the Austin Police Department Downtown Area Command, Tim Finley officially terminated their leases yesterday.

[update] Through the grapevine, I’m being told that Finley is not in a big rush to find a replacement tenant, and he is not inclined to install another bar.  The building is actually pretty nice once all of the black plexiglass peels off.  This weekend I’ll try to find some old photos of the building and hopefully put together some history.  The intersection of 5th (formerly Pine St) and Trinity is one of the very few instances in Austin where each building, on each corner, was built before 1940.

[Part two] City of Austin v. Harry Whittington: the saga of a parking garage

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by jude galligan

Who has legal claim to the Convention Cener parking garage? The City of Austin or Harry Whittington?
Who has legal claim to the Convention Center parking garage? The City of Austin or Harry Whittington?

Part one begins here.

In 2003 Harry Whittington begins to win.  But, the City is proving to be just as stubborn with their appeals – just as Whittington had been between 2000-2003.

Whittington has postured himself along the following legal issues
1)    originally, the condemnation was incorrectly  processed
2)    on the second condemnation attempt, the City did not properly condemn the alley
3)    the City hasn’t demonstrated the condemnation was done out of necessity for a public purpose
4)    the City already has parking on 2nd & Trinity and the new parking lot and (later) chiller system are intended to benefit private sector, beginning with the new Hilton hotel, and specifically future developers

Chronology of events from 2003 to 2007 begins after the jump.

[Read more…] about [Part two] City of Austin v. Harry Whittington: the saga of a parking garage

City of Austin v. Harry Whittington: the saga of a parking garage

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17k square feet of retail held hostage by the court

17,000 square feet of empty retail space rests at the base of the Convention Center’s parking garage. This retail space has the potential to add vibrancy and day time services to the Entertainment District.  This is the only retail space within a few hundred feet of the 555, the Sabine on 5th, the Hilton, the Hilton Garden Inn, and the Convention Center.   So, why hasn’t this space been filled?

After the jump:  Part 1 of the chronology of City of Austin v. Harry Whittington
[Read more…] about City of Austin v. Harry Whittington: the saga of a parking garage