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The May, 1983, edition of Texas Monthly has a much more flattering shot of Knebel’s Tavern in its “89 Greatest Texas Bars” article. Some were marked that there were intended for use with Kelso reviews, some not. B&W printed photographs, spilling out of a half-dozen folders. Lots of photos all taken around the early-80s era of Kelso’s Bar Trail column. Kelso even paid a visit to emmajoe’s, about a year before it closed, and pointed out the place named after radicals Emma Goldman and Joe Hill was the kind of club “that would make a Republican itchy.” Must have been the “Stripmining is Forever” bumper sticker.įROM OUR ARCHIVES: Read three of John Kelso’s early Statesman columns And he describes the jukebox at Flossie’s at 1920 S. He shares Aggie jokes from “Snuffy’s Place” in Hutto, where the beer was a cheap 75 cents in 1982. Kelso critiques the “flashy” Hamm’s Beer sign at Adeline’s in Round Rock. Sadly, the “bars” file in the archives only contained seven reviews from that series. RELATED: John Kelso, longtime columnist who kept Austin chuckling, has died
#DOWNTOWN AUSTIN GAY BARS SERIES#
So when old-timer Gardner Selby mentioned to me that Kelso also did a series called “John Kelso’s Bar Trail,” I figured to tap that well, too. And it was popular, particularly here in the office where the former columnist’s recent passing has feelings and memories freshly stirred up. But note that the owner of the Container Bar and Bungalow will open their bar in the new building upon completion.When I stumbled upon old clips of John Kelso’s Barbecue Trail articles, I knew I had a story. We must also note that relocating or reincorporating existing restaurants, bars, and buildings into new construction projects isn’t new for the Austin area. In fact Rainey Street development is scheduled to demolish the now-closed Container Bar and Bungalow. Girard, who has been working on his proposal since before the pandemic, claims that the businesses in the LGBT Community were fully aware of these tentative plans before the pandemic and have been operating on month-to-month leases because of them. It will remain to be seen how the project will ultimately affect the neighborhood.”Īnd while the development would take over buildings currently housing gay bars Coconut Club and Neon Grotto, 201/213 West Fourth Street property owner Michael Girard says that he wanted to find new locations for the businesses. “We’re not trying to change the character other than on the masonry facades,” said Ott in reference to plans to reconstruct warehouse facades onto the new building since it’s the Warehouse District.Ĭouncil Member Kathie Tovo, whose district includes the LGBT community told CBS News… “Many people in my district who are worried about the project reached out to me. Hanover partner David Ott told KXAN News that the project aims to honor the roots of the neighborhood: Working with developers is crucial.”Ī post shared by Oilcan Harry’s real estate company Hanover Company and 201/213 West Fourth Street property owner Michael Girard, who also operates downtown bar Speakeasy are behind the project. “We know Austin is inevitably changing, but we are determined to find a way to ensure our community on 4th street is not pushed out. The current Oilcan owners posted a statement on Instagram on April 11 acknowledging the proposal: The plans for the project were announced during the April 11 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission’s Architectural Review Committee. Performance artist Katie Drackert (aka KD Kinetic) is encouraging members of the community to speak out against the downtown development project during the May meeting through email, phone, or in person. In fact Coconut Club’s Instagram account is making fun of the project’s proposal. However many in businesses in the community are not thrilled about the potential development which would change the landscape of the downtown corner. In order to try to preserve the area’s status as a major LGBTQ community in downtown Austin, part of the proposal includes creating a street-level space for Oilcan Harry’s in the new building with a 25-year lease, according to KXAN, and the developers finding a temporary space for the bar during the construction period, as reported by Community Impact.
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The Downtown Development Proposal plan would build a mixed-use tower on 201 to 213 West Fourth Street, meaning the destruction of several important LGBT bars that have been their for years, including Oilcan Harry’s, Coconut Club, Neon Grotto, and the shuttered Sellers Underground.
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AUSTIN, TX - (04-29-22) - LGBT business owners and residents are concerned over a new residential development project proposal that would change one of Austin’s essential LGBTQ neighborhoods.