6.f - 1500 E 12th St - public comment — original pdf

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From: To: Subject: Date: Historic Preservation Office Item # 6 - 1500 E 12th at Historic Landmark Commission Tuesday, September 3, 2024 10:35:02 AM You don't often get email from . Learn why this is important External Email - Exercise Caution Please share with Commissioners' and Staff. Thanks! Good Evening Commissioners: My name is Ms. Ora Houston. Speaking on Item: #6 Please grant historic preservation protection to the E.F. Eisenbeiser building, at the corner of East 12th and Comal, so that current and future residents of Austin learn about, see and feel the contributions of immigrant Americans to our city. The building was built by German-Americans between 1889 and 1901. It has seen many uses, some reputable and some not. Its location made the building a haven and gathering point for the many groups of Austinite's who were physically outside Austin’s Anglo-dominated society. I believe historic preservation is justified by how long a structure has been integral to a community, rather than by particular usages. Give the building the same protections as the two other historic structures on the corners of E. 12th and Comal. People who look like me were forced to relocate to East Austin by the 1928 Master Plan. I have lived in Austin, since 1945. We lived at 815 E. 11th Street across from Samuel Huston College. I attended and graduated from all segregated schools, in segregated East Austin. As an adult and before the building in question was closed, I would stop in to listen to live music. This building has been part of East Austin’s neighborhood my entire life, and longer than any of us have been alive. My request is for the building to be protected because it has been and continues to be a significant part of the history of Austin because of the German citizens who constructed it, operated, and provided much needed goods for members of the diverse communities East of East Avenue and because it continues to stand! My ask is that you grant zoning protection to promote historic preservation, so that current and future residents of Austin are aware of the contributions of German Americans to this city. Thank you for your time and consideration, Ms. Ora Elliott Houston "One does not have to INTEND racism to accomplish it" Eric Michael Dyson CAUTION: This is an EXTERNAL email. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious or phishing email, please report it using the "Report Message" button in Outlook. For any additional questions or concerns, contact CSIRT at "cybersecurity@austintexas.gov".