Owners, managers cite safety concerns, lack of revenue during annual track event that draws thousands to UT, Sixth Street areas. Several popular Sixth Street businesses and Highland Mall are considering closing or have already decided to close this weekend during the Texas Relays, an event that draws thousands of revelers to Austin.
Owners and managers Thursday cited a variety of reasons for their decisions, including safety concerns, low revenue in past years and exhaustion from the South by Southwest Music Festival last month.
Emo's Austin, a live music venue at Red River and Sixth streets, will be closed, as will Flamingo Cantina, the premier Austin club for reggae music.
Highland Mall will close early Saturday.
The Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, which bring high school and college track athletes to Austin, include numerous private parties at hotels, restaurants and other venues throughout the city that draw mostly African American attendees.Police have said the event does not draw any more crime than other large events here.
A leader of the Austin chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said he was troubled by the closures.
"It's counterproductive for us to even be open because of the craziness downtown," said Angela Gillen, owner of Flamingo Cantina. "It's kind of dangerous, and the staff doesn't want to work."
Gillen said she could not point to a specific incident that has caused her to think the atmosphere is dangerous.
"The shows that we've thrown in the past have not been successful, and it seems like it's a big gun party in the streets. Folks that come to that event aren't looking for reggae," she said.
Highland Mall, near North Interstate 35 and U.S. 290 East and a frequent destination for Texas Relays attendees, also will close at 2 p.m. Saturday "because the safety and security of our shoppers and retailers is our top priority," General Manager Jeff Gionnette said in an e-mail.
Gionnette did not cite specific security concerns and did not respond to a follow-up e-mail. There were widespread but unconfirmed reports of a fight there during the Texas Relays weekend in 2007.
Austin police, who are ramping up Sixth Street patrols for the weekend, have said the number of tickets issued during Texas Relays in past years is similar to other weekend events, including SXSW and Mardi Gras. They also have said that they typically do not see a rise in use-of-force incidents by police during the Texas Relays.
The decision marks the first time Sixth Street businesses have ceased operations during the Relays.
"Unfortunately, it gives this city a very negative reputation when it comes to treating and welcoming African Americans," said Nelson Linder, president of the Austin chapter of the NAACP.
Linder said that for years, Texas Relays participants have said that African Americans who attend don't feel warmly welcomed by Austin.
Assistant Police Chief Patti Robinson said the department will have about 100 additional officers on the street each night, which she said is not unusual for events that attract thousands of downtown revelers.
Robinson said the Texas Relays crowd in years past has been different from the crowds at events like SXSW and Mardi Gras. Generally, she said, revelers are younger and not of age to go inside bars and clubs.
That leaves many of them on the street, she said.
Robinson said she was not aware that some businesses had decided to close.
"Our interest is with the public places and the areas we have closed down to accommodate the large crowd we are expecting," she said.
Gionnette said in a statement that Highland Mall officials decided to close because security officers the mall has used in the past "were not available." He did not elaborate.
Bill Corsello, general manager of Emo's, cited financial reasons for his decision.
"We've tried stuff during the Relays, and year after year we lose money," Corsello said. "We get about 20 percent of our normal crowd. People just want to be on the street. They don't want to go into our club."
Corsello said that the Relays' proximity to SXSW is also a factor.
"We get ... beat by SXSW, and we get less than two weeks between that and the Relays," he said. "It's just not profitable for us. It's a hard dollar to make."
In past years, promoters have tried to capitalize on the volume of people but generally have failed. A few years ago, a hip-hop triple bill at Stubb's on Red River Street drew fewer than 50 fans to the 2,100-capacity venue.
Other business owners said they are considering closing for the weekend.
"We're going to play it by ear," said Ali Walters, an artist at Dandyland Tattoo on Sixth Street. "We'll be open during the day, and if we stay busy, we'll stay open."
The Red River Street hip-hop club Spiro's is packed during Relays weekend.
"We cater to UT students, so student athletes come," General Manager Josh Cisneros said. "If they come, everyone comes, from all the surrounding colleges. We will probably turn away 3,000 people Saturday night."
Poster Comment:
an entire mall closing?