I read the first paragrpah... WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH. The developer wants to improve the property and make money. I don't know what his plans are, but tearing down a ramshack building and constructing something nicer (maybe houses) improves the neighborhood, increases the city tax base, and provides housing for city residents. Something wrong with that?
Not harping at you, just harping at the HCDP. Tell them to find more Gore ballots to count. They are still upset over it.
It would be interesting to hear what the area codes were of those who called in threats. I found a Lubbock blogging site (LubbockOnline) which has a lot of liberal/antiBush threads in "general discussion" (and a top level poll question posed this way: "Should U.S. troops remain in harm's way by staying in Iraq?" - Yes, No, Don't Know; push polling at its best).
Just general griping there, no threats. Some defenders.