by Suzy Banks
Hindsight
Speculation
Dear Suzy,
I’m a photographer looking for a unique space to rent/buy(?). I have
noticed several vacant – often boarded up – spaces for rent. How do I find out
who owns them and how I should approach the owners?
One location I’d be interested in is the former Nighthawk restaurant at the
corner of Riverside and Congress. I think it would make a great studio
space.
– Eric
Dear Eric,
Finding out who owns property in this burg is as easy as tripping over a
baseball park booster. Simply call the Travis County Tax Collector (if the
property is in Travis County) at 473-9473 with the physical address of the
property you’re interested in and they’ll give you the name and the address of
the owner. The approach is as tricky as finding someone who supports the arts.
You’re on your own, but I foolishly believe honesty is a good start.
Eons ago, back in the late Seventies when Flashdance was just a twinkle
in some schlocky writer’s eye, my college roommate and I thought about pooling
our meager savings and buying one of the abandoned warehouse spaces downtown.
We’d become two urban bohemian chicks, single-handedly revitalizing a downtown
which, at the time, consisted of the Paramount Theater (where I worked), a
Dunkin Donuts (where I ate), and Wylie’s (where I drank). Throw in a few roving
transvestites and that was it for nightlife in the center of the city. Hard to
image in this day of sidewalk coffeehouses and slick eateries, no? Even harder
to imagine is that the cavernous space we looked at – big enough to run our
pack of dogs through with room to spare – was a mere $45,000. But then our
safety-conscious parents took one look at the neighborhood and… well… we
returned to our lives as average college girls with shattered dreams.
I hate to shatter your dreams, but unless you have several thousand dollars to
spend on rent each month, forget the Nighthawk. As for other downtown spaces,
sources tell me you can expect to pay a cool half mil to buy and finish out an
8000-square-foot space. That’s a lot of 8″x10″ glossies. My friend, Eric
DeJernett (not the same Eric), a broker with Commercial Industrial Properties
Company, suggested you and another photographer pair up and consider sharing a
studio space with separate offices. For the best buys, he recommends looking in
the east central area. I say, for the best buys, look into time travel and take
me back with you to the Seventies, at least long enough to get to the closing
table just once.
Be sure to catch the EcoFair at the Austin Convention Center, October 6 &
7, where you can learn about rainwater harvesting, sustainable building, solar
products, organic gardening, and tons more. Maybe even time travel? – Suzy
This article appears in October 6 • 1995 and October 6 • 1995 (Cover).