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Tumbling Down

By Russ Morgan (Contact)

Friday, January 2, 2009

Demolition on the University Inn, 1839 Merchant St., began on Thursday and is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

The property is on schedule to be developed into an 18,000 square-foot apartment complex for Emporia State University students.

The motel has been vacant since it closed on Jan. 1, 2005.

Ben Eastep and Pat Sherman, representatives of Oxbow Development, say the company wants to build a 49-unit “Grade-A” apartment complex on the site.

“We’re looking to make this into a resort-style place,” Eastep said after an Emporia-Lyon County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission meeting in September. “They’ll be four-bedroom apartments, there’ll be a pool, tanning beds, an indoor movie theater, a 24-hour fitness center, and there’ll be lighting and cameras for high security.”

A representative of the development company will arrive in Emporia on Tuesday to set up a temporary leasing office.

Comments

apsuz (anonymous) says...

“We’re looking to make this into a resort-style place,”
"apartment complex for Emporia State University students."

Is it just me, or do these two phrases not exactly go together? What college student can afford a "resort-style" apartment? Even if there are 4 students in one of the 4 bedroom apartments, with all the amenities listed, it sounds like it will be a little pricey. Most (traditional) ESU that I have known had little to no extra income, working at places fast food or similiar jobs that don't pay much. Most (non-traditional) students that I have known are more concerned about supporting families than having a fancy apartment with all these extras. It's a great idea, if it can be affordable too the students. But I could think of better things to do with extra space than put a movie theatre or tanning beds in a complex being built for students. How about a study lounge with wireless internet (internet is a little iffy, but a lot of research and projects can be done online, as opposed to in a tanning bed or while watching a movie). I'm still puzzled as to how college students are going to afford apartments like this. I hope they will be furnished, because I'm willing to bed that students that will fork out the cash for these apartments won't have anythng left over for furniture, except maybe inflatable beds and lawn chairs. Not to mention the extra for food. Sorry, I just think this is a little ridiculous to be meant for students.

January 7, 2009 at 1:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

methusla (anonymous) says...

apsuz- I agree with you completely. A resort style apartment house for college students ! I always thought you went to college for an education not to have a resort to live and play in.
I would also like to know how much is this project going to cost the tax payers of Emporia ?
I would also like to know if the cost of rent for these "resort style" apartments will subsidized with taxpayer funded, government grant money in the way of student loans ?

January 7, 2009 at 8:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

former_emporian (anonymous) says...

The students can't afford this kind of living...but their parents can. As costs keep going up for a university education parents might send the kids to esu rather than ku or ksu.and if the apartments help sway the prospective student to study here than why not? A majority of vehicles on campus and the surrounding neighborhood have johnson county tags. I think the students who live in the new resort will not have to struggle to make rent.
Let the students have their luxury living. Its 2009,enough sour grapes about the expected lifestyle of a college student.

Would you rather have "angels" back on the property?

January 7, 2009 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

orlando (anonymous) says...

Finally, that motel is gone. What an eyesore it had become.
Even an empty lot is better. I can't really imagine how much time the students will have for some of those amenities, especially considering how many of them spend their off hours at bars, etc. Time will tell.

Now how about getting rid of those two house on the northeast corner of 12th and Exchange?

January 7, 2009 at 1:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...

Does it seem a little out of order to have the wealthy resort style life before you even have the education to get the job to provide one for yourself? Isn't this sending the wrong message to people who haven't experienced the world yet about how the world works and what their place is in it? What are these kids going to expect to greet them when they graduate? I don't care if Mom and Dad can afford it or not, what county they're from or how many potential students this could attract. You could attract 100 students and lose them all as dropouts the minute they start flunking classes because none of them knows you have to work in life. And if they come with silver spoons--well, this town has enough repercussions from the ones here right now. We don't need any more. I don't begrudge them a nice life--I just feel it's taking a nice future away by crippling them now.

January 7, 2009 at 1:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

OutsiderJ (anonymous) says...

former_emporian said, "Would you rather have "angels" back on the property?"

What does that mean. I have only been in Emporia for a few years and don't understand your reference. Please explain. I am not being sarcastic. I am truly interested.

January 7, 2009 at 2:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

neighbor (anonymous) says...

Angels was a strip bar located there for a while Outsider.

I observed some of the destruction work while fueling up my truck next door the other day. I know salvaging slows progress on jobs like this one, but to me it sure seemed like a major waste of what looked like alot of good lumber. Where did they haul the waste to?

That building and the original Phillips 66 service station building that was next door were built about the same time, now both buildings are gone.

January 7, 2009 at 11:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )