Houstonist: UPDATE: City Council approves landmarks just in time...

Cipher

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:37:43 -0600

My dear Urban Houstonian, A Boycott has already started. None of the retailers in any Weingarten property has longtime security with that company anyway. They'll all have to move out sooner or later. And lowered per square foot sales will mean that either they will negotiate a cheaper lease with Weingarten, or they will move to another location. Houston has an 11% retail vacancy rate. There are plenty of high toned neighborhoods in Houston to find stores to rent.

lauren

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:07:04 -0600

focusing on this aspect isn't completely a waste of time since it contributes to the visibility of preservation as a whole, but i agree - it is time to step up efforts for the theaters. as far as not patronizing Weingarten-owned centers, it would be worthwhile to encourage your favorite establishments to consider not leasing from Weingarten in the future.

Urban_Houstonian

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 09:41:08 -0600

Cipher, slow down on the boycott there. The businesses that lease from Weingarten are not complicit in this arrangement. They do not make the decisions on what happens to these shopping centers, and should not be punished because they have an contract with Weingarten. I think Weingarten is nothing but scum too, but I can't go punishing the businesses that still lease from them to spite that company. Doing so would likely doom what's left of the River Oaks Shopping Center including the River Oaks Theater. If nothing else, I wish local preservationists would stop wasting time with this lost cause, and concentrate all of their efforts on saving the movie theater. Any effort to save the marked-for-death portion of the center now is nothing but a waste of time.

lauren

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 21:36:11 -0600

i wouldn't really call it a victory, but it makes the shopping center a sort of poster child for preservation - maybe there is also some hope that it will turn the head of someone at Weingarten, but i'm not holding out for that. historic preservation in Houston is a bit wretched and confusing, indeed.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 21:22:25 -0600

So, why is this a victory if Weingarten can still smash the buildings and build more Starbucks? I am confused.

Cipher

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 19:29:07 -0600

I'm so tired of Houston getting uglier and uglier as every year passes, and watching every building that's got a story and some beauty being torn down for more big box corporate crapola chain stores. So I'm not going to patronize any store that leases from Weingarten anymore. And any employee of Weingarten can frankly drop dead.

Jim Parsons

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:30:56 -0600

I hope they have plenty of napkins on hand this evening.

Crystal Jackson

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:45:49 -0600

Isn't this like declaring someone a virgin AFTER the prom?

Urban_Houstonian

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:20:16 -0600

Michael Berry is such a little penis.

lauren

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:15:28 -0600

i love their choice of words :P

Monica Danna

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:09:03 -0600

will they be whooping it up? :-)