City Council to Smack Down Marriott, Save Las Manitas?

Enough. Enough, I'm a life-time resident BS. I have lived in Austin all my life too. Get this: THINGS CHANGE, it's not always bad. Get over "my sleepy little college town crap"...it's NOT 1975 anymore.

However, local business=good. Violating property rights because you are a local business=bad.

Who cares if you work for developers or not? Who cares if you're from here all your life, or you are a transplant.

I swear, life time Austnites, while weird, are also the BIGGEST EFFING SNOBS I HAVE EVER MET.

Transplants, of all kinds, creative and business minded, from THIS life time Austinite...WELCOME to our city.

Let's talk about why Las Manitas will not search for compromise, within the legal limits of the law...I think Marriott will do what's necessary to gain public approval. Why can't they sit down and talk? Or are they?

"No wonder you want Austin to become some large lifeless city full of overpriced condos and trendy shops"

Hey dumbass: I MOVED HERE FROM SUBURBAN HELL. I even said so in my last response to your stupid assumptions. Are you now deaf as well as dumb?

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.

I have read many of your postings, and I am shocked. Why don't you transplants go back to where your from. You want to tear down what has made Austin, Austin! For the few of you that remember things from the past, Austin was a small college town that loved live music. You know what the Hell with it, I'm just not in the mood for all the new-comers comments...

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.

There you are - you're the poster that made me want to get involved in one of these discussions finally. I was beginning to feel bad for you so I hopped on board with your outlandish views to rally some support for you. I don't think its working though :-) It would seem that most of the city including its council members doesn't believe, like you, that outrageous development is the only way to prosper. It's sad really that there are people like you who believe that progress is only made through dollar signs. Is it true that you are part of commerical development as mentioned in a previous post? I find it hard to believe how anyone that has lived here who supports what is happening now waited so long for it to become what they wanted. Why didn't you move long ago? Was NYC too expensive? Was the fact that people in Seattle get paid the same as people here, but the cost of living is 30% higher? Was that 500 sq. ft. apartment in San Fran a little too pricy at $4500 a month? I'm really afraid that this direction of big development will lend itslef to this city's demise, at least the demise of what actually makes Austin, well, Austin. GL in your quest to destroy the soul of a city which has attracted so many great and creative people; people which now will probably move once this becomes everything they tried to get away from originally.

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.

Thanks, Grap Ape. We're all just a little bit dumber for having heard that sorry attempt at sarcasm.

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.

Force a landlord who was already being more accomodating than most landlords would have been to turn down a hundred-million dollar development deal so a tenant can stay. This can't POSSIBLY EVER BITE US IN THE ASS.

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!

These council members have no idea what is good for Austin. They are trying to ruin progress before it even gets a chance to start! Let's put the 3 Marriots there on that one block to see what happens, then they can ask to have LM put back and the hotels to be torn down if it doesn't work out. Why do they insist on saving local business? We're talking about millions and millions of dollars that can be made for someone who needs the money badly.

Mccracken is still smarmy

Mccracken is still smarmy

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