City Council has voted to designate 1500 E. 12th St. as a city of Austin landmark, saving the building from demolition by owner Eureka Holdings. Over 1,500 people signed a petition by Preservation Austin calling on the city to save the building, which dates back at least to 1911 and has links to German immigrants and the Black East Austin community. The property has sat vacant for years and was bought in 2016 by the Dallas-based real estate developer, which owns a number of properties on the East 12th Street Corridor, including Outer Heaven Disco Club, which it intends to close. “Preservation Austin looks forward to working with Eureka to ensure the building is thoughtfully restored and this corner of Austin is brought back to life for the community,” the nonprofit said in a press release. When asked by the Chronicle if the organization planned to help Outer Heaven stay open, policy and outreach planner Meghan King said, “We would love to work with the neighborhood on a vision to preserve all of East 12th Street if there is energy behind that, in addition to ensuring that 1500 East 12th is restored and occupied.”
Kenny Dorham’s Backyard is accepting donations through the end of the year. The outdoor Eastside venue, named after the jazz trumpeter who grew up in the area, has long sought additional funding to help upkeep its stage, food trucks, and community gardens. “Everything you give goes directly to support the live music, art markets, and other community events we put on that enrich the Austin African American Cultural Heritage District,” the venue wrote on Facebook.
This article appears in December 20 • 2024.