AUSTIN, Texas — A burger joint that has sat near the University of Texas at Austin campus for nearly 100 years could be safe from demolition.
Dirty Martin's Place was previously directly in the path of a light rail line included in Project Connect, Austin's multi-billion-dollar public transit plan. The restaurant, which opened in 1926, and about a dozen other businesses located on Guadalupe Street were at risk of being torn down to make room for the light rail line.
Now the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), the agency in charge of implement Project Connect, has confirmed to KVUE that it will be moving bus and bike routes on Guadalupe to adjacent streets so the new light rail can continue down Guadalupe without removing any businesses.
"We've come up with some new design solutions that still balance the needs of moving people in, really, all modes through that area, but avoid any conflicts with the buildings and structures," Lindsay Wood, the Executive Vice President of Engineering and Construction for the ATP, said.
The ATP said the new plan is progress, but it isn't at the end of the road just yet.
"We are confident we have a feasible and viable design solution here," Wood said. "But we have a lot of runway in front of us. We have a long process to go through both federally and to meet local requirements."
While the updated plan is promising for businesses like Dirty Martin's, the restaurant's owner said he is feeling cautiously optimistic about it.
Mark Nemir told KVUE he received a heads-up call on Tuesday that his business might be saved, but he hadn't received official confirmation in writing. He said he now wants leaders from the ATP to provide him with an official statement that confirms his restaurant will not be condemned for Project Connect.
In a letter to the ATP, Nemir also brought up his concerns about cars not being able to get to his business if the street is closed for the rail line.
"If you cut off the ability of my customers to drive here, I anticipate that this new decision may 'save' Dirty Martin's real estate, but still economically damage and force me to have to close Dirty Martin's Business. I suspect this will also hold true for a number of other businesses and properties in our area," Nemir's letter said.
Dirty Martin's and members of the community have been pushing back on the light rail plan for nearly two years.
A petition started in March 2022 to "Save Dirty Martin's Place" has received more than 24,000 signatures. And last November, Dirty Martin's joined a lawsuit to sue the Austin City Council and the ATP's board of directors for moving forward with a new plan for Project Connect.
Bill Ashire and Rick Fine, the attorneys for the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, sent KVUE the following statement following the ATP's change in plans:
"We are cautiously optimistic about the fate of Dirty Martin's but this does not change the merits of our overall lawsuit. In 2020, Austin voters approved a specific Project Connect plan, with a map, route details, budget, and timeline. Since the vote, the City Council and ATP have changed the plan so many times, it doesn’t even resemble what voters approved. Are there any limits to how much they can undemocratically change the transit plan? The 2020 voter-approved plan had 28 miles of rail, now it is only 10 miles. It had a 20-block downtown transit tunnel, now it doesn’t and the rail will block street-level traffic on 3rd street. The maintenance facility was located in North Austin, now it is in the Montopolis neighborhood. Dirty Martin’s was safe, then found out after the vote they would be destroyed, and now they are safe again. From a legal standpoint, this only strengthens our case. From an ethical and public standpoint, we urge ATP to be more transparent with the details of this ever-changing public project."
The ATP said it intends to have a more in-depth draft of the light rail plan later this fall.
The agency is also hosting several open houses for the public to weigh in on the light rail plans over the next few weeks. The next open house is scheduled for Feb. 10, at the Montopolis Recreation and Community Center, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.