[Update: In a Facebook post Monday, End of an Ear noted that it will be relocating, not closing, in response to the property use change. Here is the record store's status update: "We are in the process of buying our own building and we close on the purchase in early July. News will be announced later this summer. We will still be in South Austin. We have been in business on South 1st for 11 years and we look forward to a new chapter in our new space. Stay tuned."
While our original story did not state that any of the current "Slackerville" businesses would be closing, it's understandable that people concluded that might be the case. We are still looking into what will happen to the other businesses in the complex and will update this story as we get more information.]
In what could be considered another casualty of Austin’s rapid growth, a quirky collection of retail shops and residences on South First Street will soon be replaced by a storage unit facility, KXAN-TV reported on its website Saturday. Known to some as "Slackerville," the complex is home to vintage stores Amelia’s Retro Vogue & Relic and New Brohemia, as well as what is probably Austin’s best outsider record store, End of an Ear.
The collection of one-story buildings is also housing or work space for at least a dozen artists and entrepreneurs, the article added.
According to the Amelia’s owner quoted in the story, plans are to start building demolition in December. She told the KXAN reporter that the owner of the property could no longer afford to pay property taxes on the space.
• Tenants: Storage units to replace ‘Slackerville’ space for artists [KXAN-TV]