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A skate shop in the neighborhood was spared the wrecking ball.
Following a public campaign to save their building from demolition, the No-Comply Skate Shop announced on Friday that they had an agreement with their landlord, Austin Community College, to move into their long-standing home at 812 W. 12th St. to stay – “until we” find a new home, even if it takes years, “said an Instagram post.
“I am pleased to announce that ACC has committed to extending our lease here until we find a new room,” said No-Comply owner Elias Bingham to the American Statesman on Friday. “Not only are they giving us time to find a new home, but they are also committed to finding the right place and realizing the value of working with us and our community in future mutual endeavors.”
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The college confirmed the news later that afternoon, adding that it would work towards a “long-term solution” with no-comply, including the ability to move the skate shop “to another college store in the area,” a statement made.
ACC on Thursday called on the city’s Historic Landmark Commission to postpone the demolition permit process for the building. The Commission should resume discussion at its August 23 meeting. This motion marked a cancellation on the part of the college; In a letter to the commission last month, ACC Chancellor Richard M. Rhodes opposed both delaying the demolition permit to explore alternatives and the granting of historic protection to the building.
According to an agenda published ahead of the upcoming meeting, city officials will recommend that the commission grant the postponement request.
“The motion to postpone the application process will give the college more time to focus its efforts on reaching a mutually beneficial solution with the owners of the no-comply skate shop that is currently operating off-site,” said read it in a college statement Thursday.
Earlier this month, the Statesman reported that ACC had applied for permission to demolish the storefront as part of a long-planned park expansion for the Rio Grande campus. Although Bingham said he had known these plans had been on the table for years, he was surprised when the city posted an ad outside his store indicating that ACC was pushing the demolition.
Bingham publicly urged the store’s supporters and the local skateboarding community to tell the Historic Landmark Commission that they are against the demolition. ACC needed the approval of the commission before the No-Comply building, which was built in the 1940s, was demolished. Experts said it was an example of a once-common architectural style that has largely been lost to redevelopment today.
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The city received around 4,000 emails requesting a halt to demolition efforts. At a meeting of the Historical Landmark Commission on July 26th, 70 people spoke up – 68 against the demolition and two in favor.
ACC officials questioned the architectural and community value of the building. Supporters of the skate shop insisted that it is a major hub for the skateboard community. The Commission unanimously voted to postpone the on-the-spot action to its August 23 meeting.
“We heard about ACC – they tried to argue that there is no community of community value and I think that’s really short-sighted,” Commission Chair Terri L. Myers said during the session last month. “While we shouldn’t be looking at the business itself, obviously we’ve never had such a surge of support for every case I was aware of.”
The commission asked ACC and No-Comply Skate Shop to meet and discuss the issue.
“As a community college, we strive to do what is best for the community,” said Neil Vickers, ACC’s executive vice president of finance and administration, in a statement Friday. “We learned a lot about No-Comply and the skateboarding community and we hope this is an opportunity for a lasting partnership. Our goal is to help No-Comply, and there are many ways we can look into. The extension of the lease for No-Comply gives us the time we need to get everything right. ”
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The skate shop reflected the newly discovered collaborative spirit.
ACC now sees “the value in our community and even more in what we can do together in future joint efforts,” said an Instagram post from No-Comply. “We look forward to working with you and seeing what we can achieve together.”
No-Comply Skate Shop has lived in the building since 2008. ACC bought the site in 2009. Bingham moved its business to the 12th Street building to be close to Heath Island and Morgan Moss BMX Skate Park. No-Comply has become an international attraction for skateboard lovers, he said.
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