Adult Video Store May Be Looking To Get Out
Categories: Uncategorized
Written By: Shawn Williams
Looks like there will be a positive conclusion to the Adult Video Store fiasco in Oak Cliff. Scott Goldstein wrote a thoughtful well-researched article in Saturday's Dallas Morning News where he reported the owners of the proposed New Fine Arts were willing to leave the area. In Sunday's Morning News, Scott reports that a meeting has been scheduled between storeowners and community leaders.
This effort has shown what is a continuing trend of increasing organization in Southern Dallas. Three or four years ago, this effort may not have been pulled together so quickly. But over the course of 4-weeks, local churches, advocates, news outlets, city and state officials, as well as hard working citizens all made contributions to what should eventually be a positive solution.
According to the articles, the owners want to be compensated for the money that they have already invested into the project. What??? They made a poor decision to move to a neighborhood without checking with the residents first, and we have to pay them off? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Had they just done a little due diligence, they would have realized a long time ago that this wasn't the time or place for this type of business. And we must pay for their lack of vision.
I'll reserve judgment until we see what happens, but this is grassroots organizing at it's best. Hopefully, the same groups that came together to stop this project will come together to build something else. Protests are good, but projects are better.
February 19th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Don’t buy into the hypocrisy of Ed Oakley.
http://dallasprogress.blogspot.com/2007/02/hypocrisy-and-porn-stores-i-have-read.html
February 20th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
If there is a genuine desire to buy out this video store it could be done Monday morning with church $$. There is a video store on the outskirts of Terrell Texas. When it opened there were protesters and people taking pictures of the patron’s cars. Two years later the video store remains the protesters are gone.
Way too often we start things on emotion with not enough staying power to see it to the end. If this video store’s books end in the RED year after year they will close down voluntary. Example: Albertson’s, Southwest Center Mall, Black Images to name a few.
February 21st, 2007 at 3:18 pm
The success of the Civil Right’s Movement was not solely in the marches, sit-ins and various demonstrations. The success was the action behind the scenes. A lot of organizing, planning and strategizing took place away from the public eye - for good reason.
I don’t liken this current protest to the Civil Right’s Movement. However, some of the tactics of the movement are being implemented. The demonstrations we see every Saturday and Sunday across the street from New Fine Arts serves as a visual that this store is not welcomed in the community.
The groups consist of businesses that will be directly impacted by the opening, elected functionaries, community and church leaders, and concerned citizens. Furthermore, the behind the scene work is being done with due diligence. The group is working on the policy issues, current and future planning and zoning, funding to possibly buy –out the project, and entertaining ideas for future use of the building if it’s purchased.
This may be an uphill battle; nevertheless, the community MUST take a stand! The alternative is becoming the Harry Hines south of the Trinity River.
Just a thought…