A local bar’s future is uncertain after the sale of its property June 19.

Aaron Blair, Leavenworth senior and bar manager at The Crossing, takes a break Friday night. Blair has been working at at the bar for three years, which will eventually be replaced with a five-story residential and retail complex.

Manhattan attorney, Robert Pottroff, a Kansas Law graduate, bought the property that houses The Crossing, 618 W. 12th St., from Lida Martin according to Dave Boulter, owner of The Crossing.

Pottroff did not return repeated calls.

INTENTIONS

Pottroff has indicated that he intends to tear down the building to build a five-story residential complex with retail stores on the bottom floor, Boulter said. The Crossing’s owner added that some things would need to change for that to happen, including the sale of the property next to it, occupied by Yello Sub and Head Rush. Some zoning laws would also have to change, Boulter said.

At this point, that is all speculation. Pottroff has not bought the Yellow Sub property. The Crossing still belongs to Boulter and zoning law changes are only being discussed by the city.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Boulter said.

If Yello Sub left its current location at 624 W. 12th St., it would be the sandwich shop’s decision, Bob Jones, Yello Sub’s owner said.

Teresa Mata, Overland Park graduate, smokes a cigarette as she hangs out with her friends, Weston Norwood, Lawrence sophomore, and Bene Garcia, Ulysses sophomore, Friday night at The Crossing.

Jones said he had a long-term lease with the property owner Jeff Morrow and as far as the future is concerned, nothing has changed.

“Jeff said it’s business as usual,” Jones said, indicating that Morrow continues to tell him that he doesn’t want to redevelop the corner of 12th and Indiana streets.

As far as Jones is concerned, nothing is really going on. The developer is exploring opportunities, he said.

Before Pottroff purchased the property, Boulter was in negotiations with a group of people to sell The Crossing. Andrew Lynn, a 2001 Washburn University graduate who now lives in Orlando, Fla., was one of those people. Lynn spoke on behalf of the group Beanie’s Crossing LLC.

Lynn and his partners were still considering purchasing The Crossing and operating it as long as the lease would allow. A decision could come this week, he said.

PETITION

University of Kansas students and Lawrence residents have spoken out about the possible demolition of The Crossing for an apartment complex in an online petition created by Robbie Gieser, Andover sophomore.

Graffiti decorates one of the tables outside at The Crossing, 618 W. 12th Street.

Gieser started the petition after reading about The Crossing’s possible fate. He said he did it because nobody else had.

Gieser said that he thinks Lawrence, or any town for that matter, should keep the things that make it unique and historic.

“If this could sway the new owners to keep it running, that would be something truly special,” Gieser said.

More than 4,700 people signed the petition, which has since been disabled and is no longer available to be viewed or signed.

Boulter isn’t as concerned about the future or legacy of The Crossing as those who signed the petition. He described Pottroff as the atypical developer because he’s not a “bottom line” guy. He looks beyond the numbers, Boulter said.

“I think he’ll do what’s practical from a real estate point of view, but find a way to do something from a sentimental point of view,” he said.

Boulter said he thought it would work out for everyone and people would be pleased with the way it turned out.

A BIT OF HISTORY

The Rock Chalk Café — known today as The Crossing — has endured five other names and several changes in ownership and numerous changes to the type of establishment it has been since it first opened in 1923.

Derek Mullins, of Lawrence, watches in suspense as Shelly Schloer, Leavenworth junior, releases her ping pong ball during a game of beer pong at The Crossing Friday night. The two were hanging out with friends at the bar, 618 W. 12th Street.

One thing has remained constant. The little watering hole at the corner of 12th and Indiana streets has always been a favorite of KU students, alumni and Lawrence residents.

The land where The Crossing now sits was once the site of the University’s campus stables. Students rode their horses up 12th street, which was the least sloped street leading up to campus. They would leave their horses and walk to class, according to Jacob Shipley, a 2001 alumnus and former manager of The Crossing.

“It’s been a watering hole for both students and horses for some time,” Shipley said.

What is now known as Yello Sub began when The Crossing was called The Flagship International in the mid-1970s. At that time, The Crossing was remolded so the front resembled the back of a ship, Shipley said. Yello Sub moved to its current location in the late-1970s.

The Crossing has also seen a number of different types of clientele walk through its door. It’s been a hippie bar, a punk bar and a fraternity and sorority bar during its time, Boulter said. He added one of the goals when he and his partners bought The Crossing was that they wanted it to be a bar that all types of personalities could coexist in. It was important to them to do away with any type-casting.

“There are no stereotypes,” Boulter said. “No one group dominates The Crossing anymore.”

LOST MEMORIES

With the future of The Crossing in doubt, in doubt also are the memories that could have been created there.

Aaron Blair, Leavenworth senior and manager, who has been a bartender at The Crossing for the past three years has heard a number of stories while standing behind the bar, which is littered with so many years of signatures and drawings, it might as well be graffiti.

He said people would come in who were 70 years old and say, “Yeah, I remember this place.”

A man proposed to his wife and they both wrote their name on the bar, he said. They came back after they were married and cut off the piece of wood.

“The Crossing is as much of an institution as anything else at KU,” Tony Esparza, a 2001 alumnus said. “Its hard to know that nothing is how it was when you went through.”

Esparza said he used to live two blocks away on Ohio Street and would stop by The Crossing on his way home from class on Fridays.

Lisa Meinen, a 2005 alumna said The Crossing was close enough to campus that a student could grab a beer between classes.

“What other bar is on the bus line?” she said.

Blair said it’s a tradition thing. He imagined visiting The Crossing when he returned to campus for a football game or to see friends.

“I’m not going to have that,” Blair said, adding that it wasn’t just him, but the whole University that would miss out. “People are going to walk by and talk about what happened. They’re going to say ‘The Crossing used to be here.’”