SAVE DIRTY MARTIN’S PLACE

STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF DIRTY MARTIN’S

Dear friend of Dirty Martin’s:

You are receiving this message because you have expressed deep concern about the possibility of our beloved restaurant being torn down to make way for the new Project Connect rail line currently planned for Guadalupe.

We want to update you on what we—and a number of other Austin businesses and residents—are doing to fight this.

We also need your help.

First, a little background. Capital Metro and the City of Austin formed an entity called the Austin Transit Partnership to manage the buildout of Project Connect. The Transit Partnership currently intends to move forward on the rail line contemplated by Project Connect, which means removing Dirty Martin’s and many other people’s businesses. Even a switch in the route to save Dirty’s is of great concern to us because it would mean costing other businesses and homeowners their properties.

The Transit Partnership, by law, has the authority to remove our restaurant and those of others by using eminent domain.

Regardless of what the Transit Partnership says, we as a company have little confidence that the entity is genuinely looking for an alternative that saves our business. Therefore, we feel it is imperative that we, and every business and resident in Austin under threat of displacement, use every available method to try to protect our families, businesses and livelihoods.

Here's the stunning reality: According to the city’s own estimates, 302,000 Austin residents and countless business are at the threat of destruction for this massive—and hugely expensive—construction project. Unless we act, this will continue to be a burden for all Austinites for generations to come. 

One of the ways to fight for our survival is to get help in the form of new legislation passed by the Texas Legislature. We have determined that uniting in a concerted legislative effort to curb the Transit Partnership’s ability to continue to function without voter oversight is the most efficient solution at our disposal.

If our work is successful, the Transit Partnership would be required to present its case to the public again but this time with all the facts on the table about how much the project will actually cost. It would also be compelled to reveal to the voters factual and complete information about the displacement of businesses like ours.

It will likely cost around $200K to support this bill through the current legislative session, which ends in May 2023. Because of the tight timeframe, our sense of urgency is great.

Our ask is simply and humbly that you donate to this cause, whether it’s $5, $50 or $5,000 or whatever works with your budget, we’d be honored and thankful for your help. You can also subscribe below to stay engaged in this effort.

The legislative bill that we’ll be filing will be called the “No Blank Checks Act.” The organization that we helped to create, and support is “Local Politics Matter ATX,” which is how checks should be made out.

The address to send a contribution by mail is:

Local Politics Matter ATX
6836 Austin Center Blvd. #280
Austin, TX  78731

You can also donate online here:

https://secure.anedot.com/local-politics-matter-atx/ae61d103-7c79-43e5-959a-26972b2f9ba1

You will also have opportunities to voice your concerns to the Legislature at upcoming hearings on the bill. We want to pack the room full of people who are concerned about this project. This will be vital to our chances of success at the Legislature.

For additional questions, please email us at info@savedirtys.com.

All the very best,

Daniel Young, GM, Dirty Martin’s
Mark Nemir, Owner, Dirty Martin’s