The Austin City Council’s approval of the liquor license transfer was one barrier – the next barrier he knocks down will be a physical one, new restaurant owner Jim Fisher said.

Tuesday, March 07, 2000

The Austin City Council’s approval of the liquor license transfer was one barrier – the next barrier he knocks down will be a physical one, new restaurant owner Jim Fisher said. Fisher was speaking about the wall between the Park Plaza bar and Susie’s (Ciola’s) Italian restaurant.

The Austin resident plans to make the two businesses the Trader Exchange Restaurant & Lounge in the upcoming months, and the wall has to go. For now, however, the Park Plaza will continue to run as it has – Thursday night jazz included – while contractors start on the former Ciola’s restaurant.

"It will be a beautiful place," general manager Bill Blowers said. "I came out of retirement to manage it." The future GM was coy about details, declining to say much at the moment. Fisher, however, promised that the new restaurant and lounge would have music and mentioned that plans for the interior hearkened back to the building’s past.

Fisher and his team anticipate taking over the business March 13, but stressed that Park Plaza would stay open until construction reaches the point where the bar will have to close.

When will that be?

"Yesterday," was Blowers reply "We wish … it all depends on the contractor." He added that they were tentatively shooting for a May opening.

Blowers will be joined by Mark Snater as assistant general manager.

In related news, the city of Austin will be the new owner of the building directly behind the future Trader Exchange. In other action Monday night, the council approved the purchase of the Lekakis Building – known to the general public as the Silver Bullet Bar and the Arcade – for $150,000. The building was one of those targeted in the city’s Tax Increment District No. 10 for renovation. It will be sold by the city to a private party – possibly the Austin Elks Club – for a minimal sum with the promise that the new owner will renovate the building in keeping with its historical features.

Other council action

Other items passed at Monday’s Austin City Council meeting included the following:

n A resolution calling for a hearing on street improvements for Eighth Street NW and 21st Avenue NW. Both streets will run into TIF District No. 11.

n Resolutions setting a March 20 rezoning and preliminary plat hearing for property north of 18th Avenue NW owned by Burt Plehal. The property in question is adjacent to the land the city had identified as TIF District No. 11 earlier in the meeting. Council member Dick Lang also voted against the two resolutions pertaining to the Plehal land.

n An ordinance eliminating the number of locations at which an organization may conduct lawful charitable gambling.

n A motion approving the appointment of Brian Johnson to the joint City-County Airport Zoning Board.

n A motion approving a stop sign for Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street SW.

n Several motions approving city removal of accumulated garbage. After failure to comply with requests from the city Planning and Zoning Department, the city can go out and remove garbage from a site and bill the property owner for the service. If the owner doesn’t pay outright, the bill will be added to property taxes.

n A motion approving locations and dates for the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce’s Pigs in the City event.