rg4n

As the opening day for the Walmart at Northcross draws near, we have something special to share with you.

RG4N leaders were recently interviewed by reporters for the NPR program "State of the Re:Union." Nope, that's not a typo.

State of the Re:Union explores how American cities and communities face challenging circumstances, and highlights what gives an area its uniqueness.

From the Austin Chronicle of March 26, 2010

Wal-Mart, RG4N
From enemies to frenemies
BY LEE NICHOLS

Yes, there's still going to be a Wal-Mart on the site of the former Northcross Mall.

In fact, it's under construction right now. And no, resentment from the surrounding neighborhoods hasn't gone away.

Wal-Mart representatives met with about 40 members of Responsible Growth for Northcross (RG4N) earlier this month to update them on the status of the project.

Among the major messages delivered:

If it looks like nothing is happening at Northcross, it's because nothing much is happening. But we'd still like to clarify what we know and what we are monitoring.

Here's what we know.

RG4N had a meeting with representatives from Walmart to get details about the development months ago. Since then, we have been waiting to get firm details about the downsized store and new artistic renderings of the store.

We're still waiting for those details.

Tom Linehan Representatives of the Allandale Neighborhood Association and RG4N met with Lincoln Properties' attorney Bruce Scrafford Wednesday night to get an overview of the changes planned for the Wal-Mart at Northcross.

The most important change is the store will...

RG4N's Candidate Forum last night was well-attended. We sent the candidates our questions in advance and their responses provided much food for thought.

You can read the questions we asked by clicking here.

From "Dataholic" on this story.

I still owe you guys at least one more installment of "What RG4N cost the city" which will be focused on lost opportunities to do the site better, but in the meantime, please read this:

Now that RG4N has struck out, it's time to assess the damage. RG4N is interpreting the judge's decision not to comment on three of their four complaints as evidence that they were valid which is spectacularly delusional.

Good show, folks. Thanks to the Chronicle for, even now, supporting RG4N's desperate attempt to spin this as something other than a complete truth-slap.

Now that RG4N has struck out, it's time to assess the damage. RG4N is interpreting the judge's decision not to comment on three of their four complaints as evidence that they were valid which is spectacularly delusional.

Good show, folks. Thanks to the Chronicle for, even now, supporting RG4N's desperate attempt to spin this as something other than a complete truth-slap.

Today, the 200th Judicial District Court of Travis County issued its ruling on our lawsuit. The court ruled that the site plan approval was consistent with city ordinances.

RG4N is disappointed with this verdict.

But we are not done fighting.

We are merely back where we were one year ago, when neighbors resoundingly said, "No!" to this irresponsible development.

And in the court of public opinion, Wal-Mart, Lincoln and the City of Austin have been losing since Day One.

One of the many pieces of excrement flung against the wall by RG4N's trained staff of lawyers was an ITE Journal article in which the author asserted a disproportionate (to square footage) traffic impact for "free-standing discount superstores" over 200,000 square feet.

The conclusion, in other words, was that 199,999 square feet stores should have a trip generation figure of X per square foot; while 200,000 square foot stores should have a trip generation figure of Y, where Y is much larger than X.