Tuesday, October 23, 2007
In Oread Inn, Tom Jennings, a planning commission member, sees a new, student-friendly future complete with spaces for greek functions, wedding receptions and coffee shops.
Patrons at The Crossing don’t. They see a tall building with no tradition, life or excitement.
“I would never go there,” Dallas freshman and Crossing patron Zachary Taylor said.
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Oread Inn wouldn’t just be a hotel. The structure would include a ballroom that Jennings said would be a good place for sororities and fraternities to have formals and parties.
Both visions could soon become a reality. The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission voted 9-1 in two decisions to recommend approval to the City Commission for the project Monday night. It will have to go before the City Commission before it is formally approved.
Oread Inn is a proposed seven-story hotel slated to be built at 12th and Oread streets. If the proposal is passed, the building that houses The Crossing, Beat the Bookstore, Big Burrito and the now-closed Yello Sub would be torn down.
“Certainly The Crossing isn’t a bad place,” lead commissioner Grant Eichhorn said, “but I don’t think they’re going to miss it.”
Oread Inn wouldn’t just be a hotel. The structure would include a ballroom that Jennings said would be a good place for sororities and fraternities to have formals and parties. Parents of students would be able to stay for parents’ weekends, he said.
The plan also calls for retail space on the lower levels of the structure. Paul Werner, architect for Oread Inn, hasn’t talked to specific businesses yet, but said the space could include coffee shops and restaurants.
The hotel and all the extra features also mean jobs for students, Jennings said.
“I think this replaces money spent here in a much more positive way,” Jennings said.
Getting students to think the same might be a little more difficult. Yello Sub, which has been closed since July, The Crossing, Big Burrito and Beat the Bookstore are all places where students spend time and money.
The Crossing had been a mainstay at the north end of campus for years. Taylor and Adrian Levsky, Glastonbury, Conn., freshman, have been coming to The Crossing at least once a week since school started. Both said the place had helped them meet people, something they said was important because they came to Kansas from far away. Levsky said coffee shops and restaurants couldn’t replace their current hangout.
“There’s plenty of places to eat around here,” he said. “You could go to Big Burrito or Massachusetts Street.”
Students such as Levksy and Taylor might not have to worry yet. Although the Planning Commission issued a formal recommendation, commission members still questioned its 95-foot height and the possible parking problems. Last month, the Historic Resources Commission voted unanimously against the project because it didn’t meet the standards necessary for structures built in the vicinity of historic districts.
The City Commission will likely give the final decision about Oread Inn next month at the earliest.
— Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
Corrections: Nov. 29, 2007
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Comments
Oread Inn proposal up for review by City Commission
MISSION STATEMENT OF OREAD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
The mission of the organization is to stabilize and maintain the Oread Neighborhood as a high-quality mixed-density residential neighborhood, both accommodating the need for student housing and preserving existing single-family housing and revitalizing the neighborhood's unique architectural, environmental and historical character. This is accomplished by encouraging and providing for the participation of residents and property owners in the maintenance, planning and development of the neighborhood.
Web site — http://community.lawrence.com/orgs/info/OreadNeighborhood
Oread Inn proposal up for review by City Commission
Tom Jennings should have recused himself from voting after selling DECADES worth of carpet to the Fritzel's.
Oread Inn proposal up for review by City Commission
on the last HRC application only 4,000 sq. ft. was designated retail out of an approximate total of 100,000 for the project. how is that more neighborhood commercial ? that is not much more than the existing buildings provide if at all - and apparently that 4,000 is for a restaurant ?
Oread Inn proposal up for review by City Commission
don't forget this proposal is BIG it will also tear down the houses to the north, the 'rugby house' and the apartment complex north of that.
Oread Inn proposal up for review by City Commission
from LJWORLD comments:
jayharchitect (Anonymous) says… That is one ugly building. Why can't developments have good architecture?
Oread Inn proposal up for review by City Commission
The Mayor has set a study session with the Oread Neighborhood on Wednesday, November 7th at 4:30pm. It will be at City Hall.
Oread Inn proposal up for review by City Commission
Wedding Receptions=student-friendly???? What decade is he living in??LOL
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