Save The Cathedral!

This blog is not necessarily a place for activism, but rather a celebration of Austin, and a guide to getting the most out of the city for the least. However, one Austin gem that has been FREE to visit for over 20 years, is in jeopardy of perishing, and it is this humble blogger's opinion that action is a must. Volunteer to help and you can see a place that I probably would've recommended regardless as a cool site to see, whilst also helping it endure for generations to enjoy...for free!

The future of the Cathedral of Junk, a true testament that one man's trash can become another man's treasure, has been put into jeopardy. City code compliance officers have said that the landmark in South Austin is in violation of several city codes.

Apparently the massive structure needs several building permits, ASAP. The owner of the Cathedral, Vince Hannemann, has until March 31st to bring his life's work up to code. He will have to tear certain portions down and remove sections to get into compliance. This is where you can help.

It appears that the movement is gaining steam, as the facebook group that had a little over 500 member when I joined a few days ago, is now up to over 2,000 (as of 10 p.m. on the 23rd).

That means that there are eight days for these 2,000 and others to take action and help save the cathedral. Volunteers who have already begun helping have said there is a lot to be done.

You can just show up with some closed toed shoes, some gloves and possibly some goggles - there is a lot of dust and cement flying around," said London Andrews, a local fan who plans to continue helping throughout the week. "He could use help with basic things like moving metal scraps and recycling junk."