Big news out of city hall: Councilmember Mike Martinez has announced Wal-Mart is undertaking a 60-day moratorium on development at Northcross. “This is a huge step in the right direction,” reads a press release from Martinez. “The Mayor and Council members worked together on this deal, and I want the residents of the neighborhoods to know that we hear their concerns loud and clear. This will allow for more time to answer questions, re-notify, if necessary, and gain more input from the community,” Martinez continues.

The moratorium opens a massive pressure-release valve. Scheduled to take the Northcross development up at their meeting tomorrow, intensity was building on City Council to act. Tomorrow being their last meeting of the year, the possibility existed that large portions of Northcross would have been demolished before Council’s next meeting in the new year. With the moratorium, the mall will be unaffected when Council returns in January.

View the press release here.

This article appears in December 8 • 2006.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US