Historically, bars like these have been crucial community centers for the city's queer population.
The prospect has caused a groundswell of public opposition to the demolition, but not all the bar owners feel the same way. In the city’s Warehouse District, developers seek to demolish the buildings home to Oilcan Harry’s, Coconut Club and Neon Grotto near Fourth and Colorado streets and the Iron Bear on West Sixth Street. All four Austin nightclubs either cater primarily to LGBTQ patrons, like Oilcan Harry's and the Iron Bear, or program entertainment explicitly for that community, as in the case of Coconut Club and Neon Grotto. About half of Austin’s LGBTQ-centric nightlife spaces could soon be displaced, as redevelopment comes to the historic buildings they call home.
