a turd with a fresh coat of paint is still a turd
Well, I'd say the history may reveal, within the next 5 years, (or less) how that polished turd called the South Campus Gateway, which was meant to solve the urban blight of the south campus area, will have ultimately added nothing to the area.
Crime in the area is up, with disappearances and shootings, not to mention full-on beatings as people get mugged and carjacked. The buildings are already visibly deteriorating. And the bars all smell just like the "dirty" south campus bars used to.
Way to go, Campus Partners. You sucked the neighborhood-ness out of that area, and replaced it with a bright, shining turd. I hope you're happy. I also hope your vacancy rates increase and it falls apart into the very thing you were trying to avoid.
I actually found myself driving through that neighborhood (I missed a turn), and past what used to be a hardware store, and is now quickly becoming a multi-million-dollar police station. The one that's replacing the other one at the north end. I got angry.
I'm still angry, even though I havent lived there for almost 7 months. The police quit patrolling the north area about 4 years ago, anyway, even though crime kept going up. It just makes me more angry that they'll be focussing further south, instead of expanding and adding new patrols.
Yes, I know that costs money. Everything does. Everyone knows crime is up all over, so why arent we doing things about it? And I'm also pointing fingers at the stupid students who don't ever talk to your neighbors other than to yell or fling beer bottles at 3am.
The downward spiral will continue, as our culture full of consumerist, "entitled" children grow up. Paying for the shiny and new, instead of embracing and fixing the old.