Brainstorming about updating campus area

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wakefield
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by wakefield »

I think the problem with having a new 138 behind URI to Route 1 is there are wet lands in that direction and it will come close to housing that was built after the new plan for 138 was thought of. I like the idea of building a road from behind URI to were Wolfrocks is located but a small bridge over the tracks will cost some money. How about federal funds for this project?

I hate the idea of a hotel being owned by a private company and have a feeling that URI can get a private loan from a bank depending on the deed of the land at the proposed spot.

How about a surf park wave pool run by business department?
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twisted3829
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by twisted3829 »

TruePoint wrote:I can sympathize with that. But at the same time, it isn't students' fault the campus is dry. The kids are just being kids. If locals have an issue, it should be with the school, not the kids. And at this point, the culture is probably so established that even if the campus was no longer dry, it would take a long time to get all the upperclassmen back onto campus.
nowhere to put all the current students, barely room to fit all the students that want to stay on campus now
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RF1 »

twisted3829 wrote: nowhere to put all the current students, barely room to fit all the students that want to stay on campus now
That true fact is just unbelievable and sad. Dorms are probably the most cost efficient structures a college could build given all the direct revenue they generate (room and board). Furthermore, with all the issues with students living off campus in residential neighborhoods, you would think more would be done to house more students on campus.

I doubt there are many state flagship universities that can only house about 50% of its undergraduate enrollment. I understand that URI will never house the percentages of many other schools given the small size of RI makes URI drivable for many daily commuter students. However just being able to house about half when there is a need for much more is poor.

Getting more students on the URI campus would make the school a more unified community and more attractive to potential students. I just don't understand with all the benefits it would bring, the school does not put much more effort into adding beds.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

I liked living off campus. The neighborhoods I lived in (Eastward, Bonnet and Sand Hill Cove) were basically frat circles without having to do stupid rush week. It is definitely unique to URI, but it isn't all bad. I would say it actually it taught me some life skills: grocery shopping, budgeting to pay rent and utilities on time, doing dishes, not setting my living space on fire, etc.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RF1 »

TruePoint wrote:I liked living off campus. The neighborhoods I lived in (Eastward, Bonnet and Sand Hill Cove) were basically frat circles without having to do stupid rush week. It is definitely unique to URI, but it isn't all bad. I would say it actually it taught me some life skills: grocery shopping, budgeting to pay rent and utilities on time, doing dishes, not setting my living space on fire, etc.

It is not all bad. I think it is an especially good option for seniors as it prepares them for the next stage in life.

I think the problem is that far too many live off campus and take over entire neighborhoods. Many of these are sophs and juniors who still lack maturity. Many of them (not all as some want to live off campus or want cheaper option) do this because they can't easily get housing on campus.

My nephew lived his sohomore year by Scarborough this past year and is currently spending his jr year by Sand Hill Cove. I am not a big fan of this. I don't like that he might be drinking and getting into his car and the fact that he just turned 21 doesn't help. I also feel that he and others like him are a bit disconnected from the school when they live off campus. They lose out a bit on the campus college life. You basically only get four years to live on campus. You however have the rest of your life to live on your own in rented apartments or houses.
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twisted3829
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by twisted3829 »

I was on campus for 4 year (RA my last 2 years), the current upperclassman dorms are awful (small, choppy, dark) and huge improvement would be to knock them down and build new (bigger) ones
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Iggy1979 »

TruePoint wrote:You have to wonder about some of the locals near URI. The school has been there for over 100 years and people have been vacationing there for probably about the same amount of time. If you don't want to live in a place with college students and tourists, live somewhere else. They act so put upon by both tourists and students.
Wow. Some time in your life I hope college students live on both sides of the house that you and your family live in.
The fact the school has been there for more than 100 years doesn't give students the right to urinate on people's lawns etc. Maybe the most ignorant post I've ever seen on this board.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

Iggy1979 wrote:
TruePoint wrote:You have to wonder about some of the locals near URI. The school has been there for over 100 years and people have been vacationing there for probably about the same amount of time. If you don't want to live in a place with college students and tourists, live somewhere else. They act so put upon by both tourists and students.
Wow. Some time in your life I hope college students live on both sides of the house that you and your family live in.
The fact the school has been there for more than 100 years doesn't give students the right to urinate on people's lawns etc. Maybe the most ignorant post I've ever seen on this board.
Image

I didn't excuse anyone urinating on anyone's lawn. I agree that excusing that would be ignorant, but I didn't say that and I'm not sure how what I actually said is ignorant.

I will say that I'm pretty confident I won't have college students living on either side of my house, because I don't live within 10 minutes of a moderately sized state university that can only house half of its students on campus. And unless I decide that I want to be surrounded by college students, I probably won't ever live in such a place.

My feeling having lived down the line for three years is that locals treat students with disdain and act like they have more of a right to be there than the students, and since they can realistically move but the students basically have to be in that area to attend school, I felt like they had it backwards.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by ATPTourFan »

URI96 is going to enjoy that post, TP.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

A lot of you guys live down there, so I'm sure you have a different perspective than me. But I didn't grow up there and I moved out of the area after graduation. If I go back now, it's because me and my buddies got a beach house for a week in the summer, or for a URI thing. To me, it's basically URI's extended campus that people visit during the summer to use the beach. It's hard for me to think of it as a regular old town, because it just doesn't seem like it is. I'm not trying to be rude when I say that if you don't like college kids or tourists you shouldn't live there; I'm just trying to be realistic.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Iggy1979 »

TP: I'll introduce you to a couple who have lived in Narr for about 40 years. When they bought their house, URI was a much different place and the few students who lived down the line didn't hold parties that hundreds attended. You can explain to them how the town they decided to raise their family in and now retire in is "URI's extended campus" and not a real town.
You're looking at this issue as someone who spent four years in South County and then left. Did you ever think there might be other perspectives?
This is not a case of someone moving next to a factory and then complaining about the smell or the noise. When most of these people bought their houses, Narragansett wasn't even considered all the "close" to URI and student renters were a non-factor.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

Iggy, I do get that. I said in response to RoadyJay that I sympathize with that exact situation. And I specifically said above that I recognize that my perspective and that of those that live in the area are going to be different.

I don't think people who moved to the area before students started moving off campus have done anything wrong. I just think that the reality is that the university isn't moving anytime soon and kids' behavior is probably not going to change to the point where they happily coexist with their retiree neighbors. Neighborhoods all over the country change over time and because certain people move in, other certain people move out (see Gran Torino).
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by theblueram »

TruePoint wrote:
Iggy1979 wrote:
TruePoint wrote:You have to wonder about some of the locals near URI. The school has been there for over 100 years and people have been vacationing there for probably about the same amount of time. If you don't want to live in a place with college students and tourists, live somewhere else. They act so put upon by both tourists and students.
Wow. Some time in your life I hope college students live on both sides of the house that you and your family live in.
The fact the school has been there for more than 100 years doesn't give students the right to urinate on people's lawns etc. Maybe the most ignorant post I've ever seen on this board.
Image

I didn't excuse anyone urinating on anyone's lawn. I agree that excusing that would be ignorant, but I didn't say that and I'm not sure how what I actually said is ignorant.

I will say that I'm pretty confident I won't have college students living on either side of my house, because I don't live within 10 minutes of a moderately sized state university that can only house half of its students on campus. And unless I decide that I want to be surrounded by college students, I probably won't ever live in such a place.

My feeling having lived down the line for three years is that locals treat students with disdain and act like they have more of a right to be there than the students, and since they can realistically move but the students basically have to be in that area to attend school, I felt like they had it backwards.
We treat students with disdain because, well, for the most part their assholes not under the cloak of mommy and daddy. The students can "realistically" just as easily live in East Greenwich and be as close to school as Narragansett. But that's ok, the residents, the town council, the police and the school have stepped up enforcements, arrests, court appearances and fines. You equate Narragansett to "frat circle", I equate it to home. And now many students are leaving school with a police records. I guess we can chalk that up to another "learning experience".
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

theblueram wrote:We treat students with disdain because, well, for the most part their assholes not under the cloak of mommy and daddy. The students can "realistically" just as easily live in East Greenwich and be as close to school as Narragansett. But that's ok, the residents, the town council, the police and the school have stepped up enforcements, arrests, court appearances and fines. You equate Narragansett to "frat circle", I equate it to home. And now many students are leaving school with a police records. I guess we can chalk that up to another "learning experience".
But this is the exact attitude that I don't understand. These are just college kids being college kids. They have to live somewhere, and I don't think it is realistic for people to expect them to live like monks at 20, 21 and 22 years old. So you want to "step up enforcement" (or, as it is known by people who aren't assholes, "bust balls") and make sure that your fellow URI alums leave school with a police record, get dragged into court on bullshit misdemeanors, etc? OK, Dean Wormer.

Frankly, I find that to be an appalling attitude for a member of the university's extended family to have. URI people should be covering for and trying to help their fellow URI people, encouraging them to enjoy the hell out of college. Not narc-ing on them and calling the cops on them for being very good at being 21 years old, and passing ordinances specifically designed make life difficult for them.

I thought maybe my feelings about this would change, almost ten years out of school and now being a homeowner and taxpayer myself. But nope. Olds are every bit as terrible now as I thought they were when I was in college.
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Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RoadyJay »

I hope I can take a moderate view on this.

I live in a very quiet neighborhood in SK now, but as I said in an earlier post I grew up in Eastward Look. Lived there for 20 years.

I was going to parties there when I was in high school and even rented a house a couple of streets over from my parents and threw my own parties while I went to URI.

There were not nearly the problems then that there have been in the last 10 years or so.

The ordinances and stepped up enforcement is not ball busting. It's actually gotten that bad. I want college kids to party and have a great time. Hell, if anyone knows me they know I'd like to be right there with them. The point is there has to be a line and in recent years that line of what is acceptable has been lept over. I think there is a balance that needs to be struck.


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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by theblueram »

TruePoint wrote:
theblueram wrote:We treat students with disdain because, well, for the most part their assholes not under the cloak of mommy and daddy. The students can "realistically" just as easily live in East Greenwich and be as close to school as Narragansett. But that's ok, the residents, the town council, the police and the school have stepped up enforcements, arrests, court appearances and fines. You equate Narragansett to "frat circle", I equate it to home. And now many students are leaving school with a police records. I guess we can chalk that up to another "learning experience".
But this is the exact attitude that I don't understand. These are just college kids being college kids. They have to live somewhere, and I don't think it is realistic for people to expect them to live like monks at 20, 21 and 22 years old. So you want to "step up enforcement" (or, as it is known by people who aren't assholes, "bust balls") and make sure that your fellow URI alums leave school with a police record, get dragged into court on bullshit misdemeanors, etc.

Frankly, I find that to be an appalling attitude for a member of the university's extended family to have. URI people should be covering for and trying to help their fellow URI people, encouraging them to enjoy the hell out of college. Not narc-ing on them and calling the cops on them for being very good at being 21 years old, and passing ordinances specifically designed make life difficult for them.

I thought maybe my feelings about this would change, almost ten years out of school and now being a homeowner and taxpayer myself. But nope. Olds are every bit as terrible now as I thought they were when I was in college.
Wow, you are truly delusional. Let me have your address so I can park my car in front of your house at 3am and blast the crap outta music. I would give you maybe three nights before you call the police. But based on your stance on the issue, I would expect you would not call the police because it's just people having fun. That's great then, I would applaud you. But I guarantee if I could wake you up every night over the course of a few months, your attitude would change. And I don't care if they are students, family rentals, guests or owners. There is a certain amount of CIVILITY required to make a community work. And there are laws that are meant to protect the peace and quiet of CIVILIZED societies. Having a party at 3am with 300+ drunk people is not CIVILIZED. And don't say it wouldn't happen in your town because you live in a different town. Every community has the RIGHT to peace and quiet. Thus the DISTURBING THE PEACE LAW. Narragansett residents just made a stance to ensure the police enforce the LAW. Just because they are college students gives them no right to break the law.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

Roadyjay - it sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on the situation, so if you say that it is that out of control then I'll take your word. I know that when I was in school, we would have cops show up to houses I was hanging out at because a neighbor noticed too many cars parked outside and assumed we were having the party of the century. That is busting balls. Innocent fun shouldn't be shut down by uptight neighbors, but if there is violence, vandalism, etc., then yes - that does need to be stomped out.

blueram - my guess is that this issue hits home for you and that explains why you are being so emotional and hysterical about this, and I am not saying this to you to be rude, but if you don't want to live near parties and noise then maybe you should consider not living in an area dominated by college kids. When you live in a town that has such a high concentration of students, I think it is a fact of life that there is going to be less "peace and quiet" than you would get in your typical sleepy suburb. Especially if you live in one of the neighborhoods that is 80-90% kids. I understand people want to stand their ground if they were somewhere first, but at some point it probably makes sense to take honest stock of the situation and accept the fact that you live in a college town - whether you intended to when you moved there or not - and if that isn't OK with you then you should move.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by theblueram »

TruePoint wrote:Roadyjay - it sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on the situation, so if you say that it is that out of control then I'll take your word. I know that when I was in school, we would have cops show up to houses I was hanging out at because a neighbor noticed too many cars parked outside and assumed we were having the party of the century. That is busting balls. Innocent fun shouldn't be shut down by uptight neighbors, but if there is violence, vandalism, etc., then yes - that does need to be stomped out.

blueram - my guess is that this issue hits home for you and that explains why you are being so emotional and hysterical about this, and I am not saying this to you to be rude, but if you don't want to live near parties and noise then maybe you should consider not living in an area dominated by college kids. When you live in a town that has such a high concentration of students, I think it is a fact of life that there is going to be less "peace and quiet" than you would get in your typical sleepy suburb. Especially if you live in one of the neighborhoods that is 80-90% kids. I understand people want to stand their ground if they were somewhere first, but at some point it probably makes sense to take honest stock of the situation and accept the fact that you live in a college town - whether you intended to when you moved there or not - and if that isn't OK with you then you should move.
I think the residents of Narragansett are pushing and demanding to see that the students conform to the norms of society or find "another home". Hell, they might just end up in your town. :lol: :lol: :lol:
There's alot of money in this town, and influence. I would expect change will happen. Hell, there hasn't been one party on my street this year. First time in maybe 5 years. Pretty nice I might say to live in beautiful Narragansett. Think I'll take a walk to the beach.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by OBRAM »

A post said they were afraid of URI losing its rural character. I think the Rural Character in South County is going not because of URI but because of all the homes built in the last 30 years, especially from 1985-2005. If anything, URI has helped kept it rural with Peckham Farm, East Farm, and turf fields.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Seawrightspostgame »

Agree obram, agree with TP.

Living next to a house that is owned and rented to other people is a problem everywhere.

It's delusional to think a few ppl with $$ will impose their will on an entity like URI.

If they are able to do that over a long period without any give, then the leadership at URI is garbage.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Taylor Swift »

TruePoint wrote:A lot of you guys live down there, so I'm sure you have a different perspective than me. But I didn't grow up there and I moved out of the area after graduation. If I go back now, it's because me and my buddies got a beach house for a week in the summer, or for a URI thing. To me, it's basically URI's extended campus that people visit during the summer to use the beach. It's hard for me to think of it as a regular old town, because it just doesn't seem like it is. I'm not trying to be rude when I say that if you don't like college kids or tourists you shouldn't live there; I'm just trying to be realistic.

"Basically URIs extended campus" ....ouch!

I've lived in Narragansett for about twenty years now. Very close knit community of those of us who live here year round. I believe many people refer to this area as "God's Country". Do not discount those who choose to live here. Sorry it is only good enough for you to be here when it's convenient for your buddies to rent a house for a week.

I live here because I choose to. I think that if you are renting for the summer season or as a student, you should be respectful to the residents.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

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If I may add, the huge parties of 300 people at 2am are isolated incidents, and I prefer students over rude tourists any day. I worked at the parking lot at the Town Beach in high school and was harassed by out of state plates wanting to park in the resident only lot. I always directed them to go to Scarborough.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

To clarify, I wasn't saying that Narragansett is URI's extended campus, or that my perspective is "right" and the locals' perspective is wrong. I was just trying to share the perspective of those of us who aren't from the area and/or don't live there full time. If locals and students understood each other's perspectives better, maybe they would get along better.

I really enjoyed living down the line because it felt like URI's extended campus - all of my neighbors were students. My attitude about the locals is largely a shaped by the way I felt we were treated by them when I lived there. Maybe because of my experiences down there I am too forgiving of students' bad behavior or not sympathetic enough to the locals issues with students. But it's hard not to be a little combative when you read some of the locals voice positions that I think aren't exactly neighborly. I think especially URI alums in the area should be a little more tolerant of URI students and not go on a mission to get the police to harass them, then turn around and claim to be a friend of the university.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by theblueram »

Maybe everyone doesn't realize that the situation was driven by politics. The town council for years was run by LARGE owners of many houses in gansett. The laws and policies enacted were self serving and created this mess. They are no longer in power, nor will never be again. The laws and policies being enancted are pro resident and anti everyone else. Don't like it, go somewhere else. That is the stance that is being taken by the owners of the town of narragansett. And I fully support this.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

theblueram wrote:Maybe everyone doesn't realize that the situation was driven by politics. The town council for years was run by LARGE owners of many houses in gansett. The laws and policies enacted were self serving and created this mess. They are no longer in power, nor will never be again. The laws and policies being enancted are pro resident and anti everyone else. Don't like it, go somewhere else. That is the stance that is being taken by the owners of the town of narragansett. And I fully support this.
I assume you are a URI alum, or at the very least you consider yourself a friend of the university if you are enough of a fan of the basketball program to spend a lot of time on this message board. So I am curious how you reconcile that with your apparent open hostility towards the students at the school. I don't understand how you can say you "fully support" policies that you describe as "anti-" URI students. We complain here all the time about how the state's support of URI (both financially and otherwise) is embarrassing, and here we have the town with maybe the closest connection to the school being openly hostile toward its students. Many of those leading that hostility are surely alumni. With friends like that.....

In my opinion, students have every bit as much of a right to live in Narragansett as non-student residents. Maybe someone should help the students organize and register to vote in town so they can get some representation in local government. It only took a little more than 1800 votes to get a member elected to the council in the last election. I'm sure there are more than 1800 students living in Narragansett. I would be interested to see how locals would respond to a student-run town council passing laws that are pro-student and anti-everyone else? I wish the local residents would just be more welcoming and less hostile to the students and avoid the need for the acrimony.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Taylor Swift »

I am sure you do not know very many Narragansett residents. The year round population is NOT combative towards students. There are old cantankerous men who call the police on their college neighbors being too loud watching a football game on a Saturday afternoon, and there are also residents who have college neighbors who drive all over their lawns, and litter all over the place. You also need to realize that this happens in many other towns. Newport is a perfect example.

Of course students have a "right" to live in Narragansett, as they are paying rent to live in their houses. Being a decent neighbor and citizen is a must. No one has carte blanche. As far as I know, students would not be eligible for Town Council as they would not be able to establish full time residency.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

I am not sure about Narragansett's specific residency requirements, but I'm sure there are students who are also Narragansett residents. There would only need to be a few of them. Anyways, I say that more to make a point - locals wouldn't appreciate if students were on the town council and acted in a way that was decidedly "pro-student" and anti-locals, like blueram has suggested the current council is acting towards students. Nobody should have to deal with anyone vandalizing their property, whether they are students or not. But there is also no need for the town council to do anything to address that. It is already illegal.

I have never had any problem with blueram posting here in all of the time we have been on this board and I have generally enjoyed his posts, so I don't mean to make this personal with him. But his posts on this subject are illustrative of the problem I am talking about with local residents being hostile toward students. In my mind, it is particularly troubling since he is a "URI guy" and yet is so open about aggressively busting students' chops and a using town government and law enforcement to make life hard for URI students. I think that is wrong.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RIFan »

Place a research/office/bio-tech park on the northern fringe of the campus by the new highway exit. Try to tie the companies there to research at URI.
I like the idea of the hotel, but I think this idea of RF1 should be up near the top... we should develop a small business park with reasonable rent for university tied start-ups. Maybe the university might even invest in some of the start-ups...an incubator fund. These could have economic benefit beyond just the URI campus.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by ATPTourFan »

I like the idea of a business park as well, but how will all the additional cars get in and out each day? THAT is the major issue here.

I remember being in Carlotti around 2000 when the adminstration in the Strategic Planning office was hashing out ideas for the URI Master Plan. Back then, parking was a major issue with regard to just having enough spaces (they added more since). However, back then the campus was already at a "overuse" level of the surrounding roads (all single lane) which are protected by historical Kingston Village.

A research park means more commuting staff trying to get to the northern edge of campus. The only relief to that recently has been the reconfiguration of Flagg road to wrap around the plains rd Ryan Center lots and connect straight through to 138. However, the traffic coming from South and especially East/North via US Route 1 is going to be a major issue.

I'm not saying it's not worth doing, but until they can figure out how to get those cars in and out every day, I don't think anyone can take that idea seriously.
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RIFan
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RIFan »

Our location is both an asset and liability (roads).
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by theblueram »

TP, we have met and I have no issues with you personally. But the turning point for me was when my young daughter found a bag in our trees after a party filled with heroin and needles. For me that was the end of being nice.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

Yeah if I had found something like that in my yard when I was a student living there that would have been a turning point for me, too. I'm not advocating for anarchy in Narragansett. When you are talking about violence, vandalism or that kind of drug activity, there can't be any tolerance for that even if there were no families living in those neighborhoods. I just think that good, normal kids should be able to live like good, normal kids and not have their chops busted all the time.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Rhodymob05 »

I absolutely love this idea. Kingston is pretty much cut off from the rest of RI and out of state students would know a more accurate location of the moon than this town if it wasn't for the campus. This is a win win win win in my opinion and should certainly boost attendance to the university as well as businesses in the area. Athletics would also receive its benefits since they could stay at this hotel while visiting and would never have to leave the campus.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Obadiah »

From what I hear it is best to stay from the idea of developing Kingston Village and the road leading to URI's main entrance. First, there is not lots of room for parking and it will make the area more congested than it currently is. Besides I wouldn't meddle with the historic nature the Village, if you want to avoid controversy.

Repeating my earlier post, I would re-develop the Emporium area using the latest concepts called Lifestyle Centers. This term means a mixed use development. The best example in area is South County Commons on Route 1. The URI version would differ in several aspects - it would be bigger, the architecture would be more substantial, it would incorporate housing above the commercial space, and it would more closely resemble a traditional street with parallel parking.

Using incentives, both URI and the State can attract a sizable developer to put up the risk capital and this is highly feasible since both URI and the State can offer incentives to reduce risk to the developer. For example, URI could guarantee renting office and commercial space, it could also guarantee filling much of the residential space by students, faculty and staff. In fact, Carpionato, a development firm in Johnston, has proposed a similar $300 million Life Style project on the land made available when I-195 was moved in Providence. And they made their proposal without any incentives or guarantees that URI could make in Kingston. This technique is precisely how a private developer put up the money to build Hillside Dorm with little risk of having to fill the place because the University got students to live there.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by UCH21377 »

Obadiah UConn (I know we hate them) is actually doing exactly the type of development you speak of. It is complete, or very close. Stores, shops, restaurants on the first floor, about 5 floors of apartments above, right up the street from campus.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RF1 »

UCH21377 wrote:Obadiah UConn (I know we hate them) is actually doing exactly the type of development you speak of. It is complete, or very close. Stores, shops, restaurants on the first floor, about 5 floors of apartments above, right up the street from campus.

It is literally across from the campus and near completion.

http://www.storrscenter.com/


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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

Great looking building
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RF1 »

Mt Holyoke built its own town center across from its South Hadley, MA campus as well.


http://www.thevillagecommons.com/


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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RF1 »

TruePoint wrote:Great looking building

That is just one building. It is a multiple building complex with restaurants, shops, supermarket, and apartments. It is built around a town center green.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

Yeah, I recognize the concept/design. When I was practicing in New York I represented real estate developers and those mixed-used buildings that were designed to look like different buildings were coming into vogue.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Obadiah »

Thanks for the photo inputs, UCH and RF1. Judging just by the photos, I like the Mt. Holyoke development better than the UConn one because it has a lower profile and the more human scale gives it some intimacy. I think it works better if the buildings are only 3-4 stories high, maybe varying in height from building to building. A square is nice, but I think buildings on both sides of a street stretching quite a ways works well. Also I would try to have a cross street, maybe if possible a checker board layout. The development should give the impression it evolved naturally rather than looking like a planned city.

I know URI had a master plan which talked about building more in the Emporium area, but nothing came of it. I thought the plan was modest and used many of the current buildings with modifications. Maybe that was the flaw because in my mind to do it right requires new streets and the demolishing of some buildings. In other words a big project.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by OBRAM »

I visited Storrs Center in August, and it just seems out of place. the buildings to big, like trying to build a city in the country, instead of trying to build a town.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by RF1 »

OBRAM wrote:I visited Storrs Center in August, and it just seems out of place. the buildings to big, like trying to build a city in the country, instead of trying to build a town.

I would agree with you and Obadiah that the scale (more specifically the height) seems out of place for Storrs Center. Structures in the 2-3 floor range would have seemed more in line with what would be expected in a locale such as that. Instead of a village setting, it is more a city scape. It actually reminds me of the Universal Studios backlot with faux buildings. I like the concept of the center but not necessarily how it was designed for Storrs. I have been to both the South Hadley/Mt. Holyoke and UConn/Storrs centers and the Mt. Holyoke complex looks and feels as if it has always been there while the UConn complex looks like it was just plunked down in a field.


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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by rodfromcranston »

"Olds are every bit as terrible now as I thought they were when I was in college."
Someday, if and when you reach whatever age you consider "old", I hope you look
back on now and realize what an asinine satement that is.
That is bigotry of a different kind, for sure.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

Obviously I was trying to be incendiary there. I am old enough that most college kids think of me as old. This issue really bothers me, so at times I've chucked a few fireballs for fun. I knew what I was doing, and I recognize how asinine it is. That was kind of the point.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Rhodymob05 »

A new road system to URi has GOT to be already planned for the future. It's way to congested now and was never designed to support the amount of traffic. Driving off campus at rush hours would take 30 min some days. Basketball game days are a nightmare too. So hotel or no hotel traffic is bad and needs to be addressed.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by ATPTourFan »

Rhodymob05 wrote:A new road system to URi has GOT to be already planned for the future. It's way to congested now and was never designed to support the amount of traffic. Driving off campus at rush hours would take 30 min some days. Basketball game days are a nightmare too. So hotel or no hotel traffic is bad and needs to be addressed.
THIS, but I'm afraid they waited too long and many alternate paths have been filled with housing developments.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by Rhodymob05 »

ATPTourFan wrote:
Rhodymob05 wrote:A new road system to URi has GOT to be already planned for the future. It's way to congested now and was never designed to support the amount of traffic. Driving off campus at rush hours would take 30 min some days. Basketball game days are a nightmare too. So hotel or no hotel traffic is bad and needs to be addressed.
THIS, but I'm afraid they waited too long and many alternate paths have been filled with housing developments.
I noticed that, and if this wasn't already mentioned. The Emporium is privately owned along with the wonderfully looking dirt parking lot adjacent to it. I heard the guy doesn't like spending money and would rather continue to save and re-build the entire emporium rather than fix it up.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by billyjack »

General question...

Why is the URI bookstore only open Monday thru Friday from 9am to 5pm...?
What do students do if they need supplies or books on weekends or weeknights...?
Why is the bookstore hidden in the basement...?
Where can I get legit URI gear on campus...?

Another idea:
Build a new bookstore in its own building.
Have it be open 7 days a week, from 7am to 9pm.
Have a lot of parking around it.
Again, the Emporium site would be ideal.
Open a second URI bookstore in Salt Pond Plaza, with more of an emphasis on URI clothing.

If the regular workers don't want to work weekends/weeknights, can't some work-study URI students run the store in those off hours.
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Re: Brainstorming about updating campus area

Unread post by TruePoint »

I went to a football game at Notre Dame last fall. We flew into Chicago Friday afternoon and made it out to South Bend at about 8pm. We drove to campus and walked around some, and everything was open and lit up. We went to the bookstore, which was HUGE, at about 9:30 and there was a line to get in the place and it was absolutely packed. When we left the bookstore we walked across the street from campus to a plaza that had 3 or 4 bars in it and got a late meal and some drinks. URI won't ever be Notre Dame for about 50,000 reasons, but there should be something that attracts people to our campus and for them to do when they get there.
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