This week, let your money talk at Bookstop

In her column today, the Chronicle's Lisa Gray proposes a new idea to get the attention of Weingarten Realty Investors, the company that's planning to demolish the historic River Oaks Shopping Center, and of Barnes & Noble, which Weingarten is trying to lure into abandoning its Bookstop store in the Alabama Theater building in favor of a new megastore in the redeveloped River Oaks. The idea: Let's put our money where our mouths are.

This week, let's stage a buy-in.

Sometime between now and next Sunday, let's all visit the Alabama Bookstop. And let's all purchase something: a book, a magazine, a birthday card, a Mother's Day gift. Let's drink lattes in the coffee bar. Do our Christmas shopping. Whatever.

The point is to show that we care enough about the city's historical buildings to make a point of spending our money in them. We'll show that we're paying attention and that we'll reward preservation of the places that make Houston special.

We won't have to make threats. We won't have to hint what we'll do if the first domino falls, or scream that we'll remember who destroyed Houston's landmarks.

Our dollars will say that for us, and they'll say it in the language that Weingarten and Barnes & Noble understand.

When money talks, Houston listens.

Gray's right. And though she acknowledges that the plan is a longshot, it's a way that we — the average Houstonian that Weingarten doesn't care much about — can get some attention. If sales spike at Bookstop this week, we guarantee Barnes & Noble will know about it. And though Weingarten has released a rendering showing a big, new Barnes & Noble as the anchor of the redeveloped north side of the River Oaks center, we don't believe B&N has signed a lease yet. And would they sign if they knew Houstonians were really upset with the idea that the company could be a party to the destruction of two beloved local structures, the River Oaks center and the Alabama Theater? We'd love to find out.

So we echo Gray's call: Between now and next Sunday, stop by the Alabama Bookstop and buy anything — a book, a cup of coffee, a newspaper. Be sure to tell the salesperson or the store manager that you oppose Barnes & Noble being a part of the destruction of these significant buildings. And who knows — maybe they'll get the message.