PHOTO: New rendering shows plan for 4th Street apartment tower

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A freshly-produced drawing reveals how diverse West Fourth Road could seem if an condominium tower is created in the downtown Warehouse District.

The rendering from the Chicago-primarily based architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz supplies the very first glimpse of a developer’s eyesight for the block, which would include things like demolishing a string of LGBTQ bars like Oilcan Harry’s, Neon Grotto and Coconut Club. Even so, the strategies connect with for the proposed tower to have a freshly-redesigned space for Oilcan Harry’s that would thrust its locale down the block subsequent to the nightclub Rain on 4th.

If the options are in the long run authorized, the entrance and the signage for the new Oilcan Harry’s would surface in which the now-shuttered Sellers Underground is located. Furthermore, the designs simply call for design of an open up-air plaza and a recessed glass foyer down the block at the corner of W. Fourth and Colorado Streets.

Austin’s Historic Landmark Fee will satisfy Wednesday evening to vote on applications for demolition of addresses 201 to 213 W. Fourth Avenue “with reconstruction of picked façades.” It is a regulatory hurdle to distinct prior to the metropolis approves permits for the developer Hanover to move ahead with the 40-story condominium advanced.

According to the city’s paperwork detailing the 3 distinctive demolition purposes relevant to the undertaking (201-209 W. Fourth Avenue, 211 W. Fourth Road and 213 W. Fourth Road), crews will conserve and reuse current brick “with paint taken out or the bricks turned to expose the unpainted side.”

According to these studies, city staff members associates are recommending demolition of the structures if the developer commits to reconstruction of the building’s façade.

Developer David Ott with Hanover formerly explained to KXAN the proposed 400-device apartment advanced would assurance a lease to the Oilcan Harry’s proprietor for the future 25 a long time.

As facts about these options turned far more publicly recognised, nonetheless, some Austinites pushed back on the project. A petition sprang up on the internet, garnering extra than 4,100 signatures as of Monday afternoon, which referred to as for persons to “#BlockTheBuild and Preserve Austin’s Historic LGBTQ+ District.”

“Erasure of the LGBTQ+ local community and our lifestyle will not be tolerated, and we will combat to the stop to maintain it,” the petition’s writer wrote.

The entrepreneurs of Oilcan Harry’s posted on social media recently they respect people’s worry and aid, but they are hoping neighbors won’t oppose the program presently underneath thing to consider by the Historic Landmark Fee.

“Rest certain, our mission is to continue to keep 4th St alive for a prolonged time, & if we navigate these waters appropriately, we will triumph,” the Oilcan Harry’s social media put up examine. “However, in our distinctive scenario, we will need you to know a historic declaration is NOT the way to do it.”

The homeowners explained they consider designating Oilcan Harry’s as an historic landmark will outcome in the enterprise “being forced out of the block in less than 10 many years by folks & factors outside the house of our regulate.” They argued alternatively that their latest lease puts them in the finest position to continue being open in the space.

“We think our landlord has discovered a fantastic improvement spouse in Hanover, & their wish is to preserve 4th St as a protected area for our neighborhood,” the put up study. “With that necessary requirement in head & achieved, we have occur to a standard settlement on conditions which will allow for our legacy business to proceed on in a mix of historic & new.”

Oilcan Harry’s setting up to go to temporary place

All through an interview Tuesday afternoon, Scott Neal, the taking care of member of Oilcan Harry’s, defined a lot more about the bar’s ideas. If the Historic Landmark Fee approves the demolition allow Wednesday, he said Oilcan Harry’s would not probable have to shut its doorways until upcoming calendar year — possibly all-around the time South by Southwest happens in mid-March.

He urged shoppers not to be concerned also considerably, although, for the reason that the bar intends to open in another room on Fourth Avenue and continue to be there quickly right until the house at the base of the new apartment tower is all set.

“For our neighborhood, and for the metropolis of Austin, Oilcan’s will not be leaving Fourth Avenue,” Neal stated. “We may well transfer doorways for a few a long time for the duration of the building undertaking, but our position is on Fourth Street. This is wherever we belong, and I’m going to guarantee that we stay below, even for the duration of construction.”

Right now Oilcan Harry’s owners can not share the actual area of in which the bar will shift throughout the development section. It is also unclear what the date will be when the shift happens.

Michael Girard, who’s part of the Oilcan Harry’s leadership group, beforehand informed KXAN design on the new apartment tower could commence as early as following spring. The initially flooring of the constructing may well also include a new restaurant, the developer said very last thirty day period.

Coconut Club reaction

The demolition program for the proposed tower would also acquire out Coconut Club, which opened its rooftop dance floor and bar about three months right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Its proprietors produced a assertion Tuesday addressing the local community.

They certain prospects that they would continue being in their present room at minimum via SXSW next year. Just after that time, nevertheless, they reported they intend to open someplace else given that they have about 11 months still left to hammer out designs and uncover a new location.

“With Oilcan Harry’s staying provided a home in the new making, we are satisfied to see that a very important establishment in Austin will be allowed to continue to be in its historic locale,” the Coconut Club’s entrepreneurs explained. “On our finish, we are looking at the change of room as an option to do a little something even much better, taking what we have learned from this initially manifestation and putting it to use in our upcoming. Coconut Club has constantly been a passion project for us, and we guarantee you that enthusiasm will have about.”