Preservation Austin and our partners secured Council's vote to SAVE 1500 East 12th Street from demolition by Eureka Holdings. We needed a supermajority vote of 9 of 11 members to designate and against all odds we GOT EM!

On Thursday, December 12, Austin City Council will vote to designate 1500 East 12th Street as a City of Austin Landmark and protect it from demolition. This century’s old building, which is owned by Dallas-based developer Eureka Holdings, is currently threatened with demolition. Click to learn more and help us #SaveEast12th

The Chicana struggle during the Economy Furniture Strike represents the larger aspirations of economic justice in the East Austin community, and the challenge of all working-class women in Labor movements. Through the difficult experiences of these women, activists of today can find hope in the resolve of Chicanas at Economy Furniture to radically advocate for a better relationship to their labor. 

Preservation Austin is thrilled to share that East Austin’s Green & White Grocery was officially designated a City of Austin Landmark. From the store’s founding during segregation to its endurance in the face of gentrification and increased displacement, the story of Green & White Grocery is a testament to the resilience of Austin’s Mexican American community.

In anticipation of Green & White Grocery becoming a City of Austin Historic Landmark this year, we are thrilled to share the work of Fowler Family Underrepresented Heritage Intern, Matthew Medina, and Preservation Austin Board Member, JuanRaymon Rubio, who assisted in the preparation of this landmark application.

In the early 1970s, East Austin was the setting of a two-and-a-half-year-long labor strike by the overwhelming majority Mexican American workforce of the Economy Furniture Industries plant.

The recent rehabilitation of East Austin’s Frias Grocery Store by an Austin resident is a great example of how to sensitively meld business, residential, and cultural goals while honoring the surrounding community.

Nestled on the corner of Waller Street and East 7th Street sits a beloved East Austin staple called Green & White Grocery.