City Council to Smack Down Marriott, Save Las Manitas?

chi-quiti-boom a la bim-bom-ba Leffingwell, Martinez y McCracken, ra, ra, ra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mccracken is still smarmy

HUH?! How does that make sense. I really hope you are being facetious Grape Ape...

"millions and millions of dollars that can be made for someone who needs the money badly." Are you talking about Marriott and actually making the claim they need the money badly. What about the people who work at, for, and with LM. Don't those people need what little money they make badly, compared to Marriott.

In the end you are wasting money. Just think of how much LM would have to spend to rebuild!

It's time for you weird hippie protesters to face the facts. As its been pointed out a number of times on here, in order for Austin to succeed as a city, we need to build up and big buildings start with big holes in the ground. LM can relocate and they should relocate (to quote a fellow supporter). I know of at least one poster who supports my views on this site. The deal is that Austin can't afford to not start moving towards a more metropolitan structure (i.e. condos and office buildings downtown). Places like Cedar Park and Leander are prime examples of urban sprawl gone bad. Nothing good as come out of that development for them, all of the property they had before is now gone and they are now essentially a strip center. Those towns should have been left alone and their local businesses should have stayed. Austin on the other hand is an attractive city that needs big business in here. We need a 24 hour downtown, sure the crime rates will go up and traffic will be horrific, but its in our best interest. Personlly I think 35-40% of each side of 6th street should be torn down to have more office buildings and shops put in place. We don't need this many bars people and the live music, well, it is live, but most of its not very good. Plus those people can all move somewhere else to chase their dreams. It really pisses me off that I can't walk downtown on a morning and pop into a Starbucks when I feel like it or to be able to grab a #1 with cheese on my lunch break. Yeah, they have shops down there, but they only have 1 or 2. Have you ever been to a real city? You have them almost every block and its awesome. Efficiency and money make the world go 'round. It's about time to put away the "Keep Austin Weird" ideas and to start thinking "Keep Austin Economically Sound" so we don't turn into some little dust bowl town in the middle of the desert.

Also, I don't think the Marriot Corporation is as well off as you think, they're taking a huge financial risk to help Austin out and all you can do is cry that you want your little tacos.

It's really sad that our council members would try (so obviously!) to threaten a business that would bring great revenue to our city and stomp on private property rights to boot. Sure Las Manitas (and those other two businesses that no one really cared about until now) wants to stay (and perhaps the Marriott would be doing themselves a favor by incorporating them into a new structure somehow although it would be a financial burden and I doubt Las Manitas or Austin will be fronting the money) as they have done well there, but I'm sure most other businesses would like the same kind special privledges... You see, it ain't their property and that's part of being a renter! I understand that McCracken and others have a personal love of Las Manitas and it's a hip spot (I like it myself) but bullying is not the way to go about it unless you want to scare off other businesses (and revenue) from your high horse. Perhaps Austin could offer incentives to the Marriott to incorporate Las Manitas instead of the obvious blackmail/arm-twisting? Still, if you do it for LM, other local/historic businesses should get the same advantage, not just hip joints that make local politicians feel warm and fuzzy.

Grape Ape,

Yup, I'm a software developer, which means I'm just like a real estate developer, except even MORE so. And I moved here a decade or so ago from suburban South Florida, which is just like San Francisco or NYC or Seattle, except that the buildings are much BIGGER.

You sure got me pegged.

Wow M1EK, you always came off as such the Austin person and acting like you knew what was best for this town. In the end you're just another silicon transplant who's come here for the money. No wonder you want Austin to become some large lifeless city full of overpriced condos and trendy shops. I'm a transplant too, but I transplanted because I loved what Austin was and I love the way that people in this town stand up for what they want - their old city back from ppl like you and Marriot.