Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission is poised to decide on Wednesday whether to save a 1930s East Austin building that has deteriorated from years of neglect after its 2019 purchase by a company tied to Austin developer Nate Paul.

Paul once owned countless parcels of land across Austin, aiming to be known as “the youngest self-made real estate billionaire.” He has lost many of those properties — including 1808 E. Cesar Chavez St. — after a spate of federal indictments and his role in Attorney General Ken Paxton’s 2023 impeachment trial.

After years of sitting empty and unused, a lender acquired Paul’s East Cesar Chavez Street property through foreclosure in December 2025. That owner is now seeking permission to demolish the building to make way for redevelopment. The plan has hit a roadblock at the city, where several Historic Landmark Commissioners have suggested the structure’s history and architecture may warrant historic zoning, a designation that could prevent it from being erased. The commission first heard the demolition request in early May, but postponed the case to allow for additional research into the building’s historical significance. Commissioners are scheduled to revisit the case with the additional information Wednesday evening.

It’s the latest example of the tension between preserving what remains of East Austin’s historic fabric and accommodating the neighborhood’s rapid redevelopment. The dispute sets a clash between a property owner now seeking to get rid of a building that has sat vacant and in disrepair under recent ownership and preservation advocates who argue the building’s history is worth saving.

“Everything I see so far would indicate to me that this is a very strong candidate [for historic designation], and would be a huge loss if the city were to allow this to be demolished,” said Ben Heimsath, who is the chair of the Historic Landmark Commission but spoke to the Austin Current in his professional role as an architect.

He added, in this case, “you have a building that is absolutely, in my opinion, at least worthy of restoration and preservation, but you also have, then, the travesty of a neglectful owner that clearly must have known what they were doing.”

Nate Paul’s company, 1800 Cesar Chavez LLC, purchased the property in 2019, and the building has sat vacant since. Vince DiMare, who represents the bank that acquired the property through foreclosure, said when they foreclosed on the property, “the balance on the loan was like $5.4 million.”

Paul built a billion-dollar real estate empire in Austin but was later indicted on federal fraud charges and embroiled in a controversy with Attorney General Ken Paxton. Their relationship became central to Paxton’s impeachment trial. Since 2019, Paul has lost dozens of Austin properties through foreclosures, bankruptcies and property sales, according to the Austin Business Journal. Austin Current attempted to contact Paul but never heard back.

While the East Austin structure still stands, years of neglect have left it battered and visibly deteriorated. DiMare told the commission it is filled with trash, remnants of campfires and personal belongings left behind by people who have taken shelter there in recent years.

The previous owners never initiated historic zoning — the city’s strongest tool to help preserve historic buildings — but Heimsath said earlier owners invested significant effort into restoring the building and returning it to use as a neighborhood gathering place.

“The reason it looks like it does is that no one has taken care of it,” Heimsath said. “You had almost two full decades where it was a restored, perfectly viable, historic building.”

Historic significance at risk

The building has a long history of commercial tenants — most recently the cocktail bar Weather Up. Built in the 1930s, it originally housed a beauty parlor, barber shop and shoe repair shop, according to the city’s Historic Preservation Office, which has recommended commissioners consider initiating historic zoning.

“Given that this is a historic building, why aren’t we encouraging developers to rehab the building to maintain the character of the neighborhood?” Laura Born asked commissioners at the May meeting. “Too often, post-demolition, a modern, unaesthetic, boxy building is approved and built in its place, which degrades the city.”

Heimsath said this style of building once lined what is now East Cesar Chavez Street during Austin’s still nascent years between 1890 and 1940.

“This was a model that was all over the country, all over small towns in Texas,” he said. “We see very few of these types of commercial buildings left.”

DiMare told the Historic Landmark Commission in early May that the structure is now “a complete disaster” and has been occupied by trespassers for years.

“My goal is to demolish the building, clean up the property, make it look presentable and sell it,” DiMare told commissioners. “I think by not allowing the demolition, it’s going to hinder somebody coming in and doing a nice development.”

What’s next?

DiMare told commissioners historic zoning could make the property less attractive to potential buyers. It’s uncommon for the city to approve historic zoning over an owner’s objections, and it requires a higher level of support by City Council and planning commissions, but it has happened.

In 2024, the city approved historic zoning for the century-old building at 1500 E. 12th St. Despite the owner’s desire to demolish the structure, which had served as a grocery store, saloon and music venue, the Austin City Council voted 9-2 to grant historic protection.

On Wednesday, the landmark commission will hear from the city’s preservation office before voting to initiate historic zoning or approve demolition. Two-thirds of the commission must vote in favor of the move for it to advance. The case would then go before the Planning Commission before heading to the City Council, which has the final say on the building’s future.

“It’s very rare for us to recommend historic zoning over an owner’s objections. It’s a pretty high bar,” Heimsath said. “This is the way we keep our heritage from being plowed under.”