On the heels of the closing of the Cactus Cafe

We’re still reeling from the news that the Cactus Cafe is closing, and now this: Preservation Texas announces that Austin’s entire downtown is endangered.

Fans of Vanishing Austin have long suspected this. I’ve been documenting change in Austin since arriving here in 2004 with my on-going photography series, Vanishing Austin. The announcement that an entire downtown is endangered spotlights what many long-time Austinites have long feared–that development will trump the character and soul of our city.

Endangered Species of Austin poster, $25

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KVUE News reports that “Preservation Texas‘ . . . list is usually limited to specific buildings, such as the Austin Woman’s Club near downtown Austin. This year, the organization also included all of downtown Austin. They believe any historic buildings between Lady Bird Lake and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and from Lamar Boulevard to Interstate 35 are endangered by development.”

Who can dispute the Heritage Society of Austin‘s Mark Holleran when he offers, “Austin can lose its soul; Austin can lose the things that make it special”? ♣

#livemusic #Growth #change #CactusCafe #VanishingAustinBlog