Since rumors started flying about the future of several landmark buildings owned by Weingarten, the firm has pretty much stiffed local reporters looking for comments. In a subscriber-only Wall Street Journal story by Thaddeus Herrick today, the company offers slightly more of a response than local reporters have managed to get:
Patty Bender, director of leasing for Weingarten, said the company doesn’t yet have a “definite plan” for the shopping center but that the Alabama Theater could pose a “challenging situation” should Barnes & Noble pull out. Still, Ms. Bender said the company has long sought to be faithful to the architectural style of the three landmarks.
Weingarten seems to be trying to prepare people for the bad news, which comes in the following paragraph:
David Deason, vice president for development at Barnes & Noble, said the New York-based company intends to close the Bookstop in favor of a “state of the art” facility. But Mr. Deason said the fate of the landmarks is in the hands of Weingarten.
Folks who hope actually to persuade Weingarten to preserve their historic properties might consider calling or writing the company. While petitions are an easy, feel-good form of activism, nothing gets the attention of businesses and/or politicians like swarms of calls and letters.
BLOGVERSATION: Houstonist, Mike McGuff.
