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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: OT: Fire on Union St.
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perimeterpost
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Posted: 11/16/2014 9:48 AM
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Y-CityCatFan
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Posted: 11/16/2014 10:00 AM
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This certainly appears to be pretty tragic. I at least haven't heard of any injuries out of this. Some iconic Athens locations affected by this!
Ohio69
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Posted: 11/16/2014 10:40 AM
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From a buddy who was up there around 10:00 AM this morning: "The Union is gone. Jackie O's Public House definitely damaged. Other places are burned out. Firefighters still shooting water into the Union and have not been able to enter any structure yet."

Sad day.
bornacatfan
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:08 AM
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Ohio69 wrote:expand_more
From a buddy who was up there around 10:00 AM this morning: "The Union is gone. Jackie O's Public House definitely damaged. Other places are burned out. Firefighters still shooting water into the Union and have not been able to enter any structure yet."

Sad day.
Sucks. Love that town. Lots of history and really old structures. Hope they rebuild stronger.
Eagle66
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:23 AM
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From the Ohio University Alumni Association facebook page:

Ohio University Alumni Association wrote:expand_more
Early today, fire damaged five uptown Athens buildings on Union St. Knowing the Bobcat Nation will want to help those affected, Alumni Association Executive Director Jennifer Neubauer has reached out to Vice President of Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi, Dean of Students Jenny Hall Jones, and the Athens Uptown Business Owners Association to convey concern on behalf of OHIO’s alumni.

Stay tuned for more information about how you can contribute to coordinated efforts to help our OHIO students and Athens neighbors

The Post is providing ongoing news and updates at:
http://www.thepostathens.com/news/article_3fc4697c-6d81-1...
Last Edited: 11/16/2014 11:29:16 AM by Eagle66
ozarkcat
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:24 AM
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No, no, no, borna. Those ratting old buildings should have gone when I was on campus a half a century ago Time to gobble up the property for expansion. Opportunity to get prime area close to main gate doesn't come along that often. Buy it or trade for some of that East State Street property. Better yet, alumni could help buy it. Sent an email suggestion to OU Foundation as soon as I saw online pics of the flames.
bornacatfan
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:27 AM
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ozarkcat wrote:expand_more
No, no, no, borna. Those ratting old buildings should have gone when I was on campus a half a century ago Time to gobble up the property for expansion. Opportunity to get prime area close to main gate doesn't come along that often. Buy it or trade for some of that East State Street property. Better yet, alumni could help buy it. Sent an email suggestion to OU Foundation as soon as I saw online pics of the flames.
Got ot love guys with vision. Good thinking
RPO R6V
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:37 AM
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ozarkcat wrote:expand_more
No, no, no, borna. Those ratting old buildings should have gone when I was on campus a half a century ago Time to gobble up the property for expansion. Opportunity to get prime area close to main gate doesn't come along that often. Buy it or trade for some of that East State Street property. Better yet, alumni could help buy it. Sent an email suggestion to OU Foundation as soon as I saw online pics of the flames.
I'm all for expansion and progress but I can't endorse any plan that would mean the demise of The Union ("Serving Individuals Since 1924").
Last Edited: 11/16/2014 11:38:32 AM by RPO R6V
bobcatsquared
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:40 AM
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How sad and ironic.

Parked in front of Campus Sundry yesterday and tried to define "sundry" for my daughter. I did not share the story from 30-plus years ago of a friend of cc cat, SBH and mine being kicked out of Campus Sundry for loitering (thumbing through some Playboys).

Then, while crossing Union St., I pointed to upstairs of The Union and told my wife that that's where I saw the great live performer Willie Phoenix on multiple occasions.
Pete Chouteau
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:46 AM
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Change is inevitable, but I'm hopeful that private investment can take on the rebuild and restore the mixed use personality of the block.

Not that I'm optimistic after spending over a decade walking past an abandoned Woolworth's.
bornacatfan
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:50 AM
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Pete Chouteau wrote:expand_more
Change is inevitable, but I'm hopeful that private investment can take on the rebuild and restore the mixed use personality of the block.

Not that I'm optimistic after spending over a decade walking past an abandoned Woolworth's.
Was Woolworths "private" investment?
Alan Swank
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Posted: 11/16/2014 11:58 AM
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ozarkcat wrote:expand_more
No, no, no, borna. Those ratting old buildings should have gone when I was on campus a half a century ago Time to gobble up the property for expansion. Opportunity to get prime area close to main gate doesn't come along that often. Buy it or trade for some of that East State Street property. Better yet, alumni could help buy it. Sent an email suggestion to OU Foundation as soon as I saw online pics of the flames.
This might be one of the most ridiculous suggestions that I've ever seen on here. I'm sure all of the building owners have insurance and I for one hope they attempt to rebuild those buildings in the historical context of the area. Woolworth's is just a sterile old office building now. What the city of Asheville did with it's old Woolworth's building is a much better idea.
Pete Chouteau
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Posted: 11/16/2014 12:10 PM
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Woolworth's sat and rotted until the University bought it.

There were numerous social and political factors in the amount of time it sat vacant.

Had it burned, things would likely have gone different.
cbarber357
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Posted: 11/16/2014 12:22 PM
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As a current student I'm pretty saddened by this. No more shows at the Union and Jackie-O's won't be the same.
It should also be noted about 30 other students are out of their apartments and maybe everything they own.
Last Edited: 11/16/2014 12:22:50 PM by cbarber357
ts1227
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Posted: 11/16/2014 12:36 PM
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cbarber357 wrote:expand_more
As a current student I'm pretty saddened by this. No more shows at the Union and Jackie-O's won't be the same.
It should also be noted about 30 other students are out of their apartments and maybe everything they own.

FYI regarding the students, for anyone looking to help:

Ryan Lombardi
@OHIOVP
Those wanting to give $ to support these students can do so at http://ohio.edu/give and select the OHIO Parents & Family Fund.
Last Edited: 11/16/2014 12:36:32 PM by ts1227
ozarkcat
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Posted: 11/16/2014 12:46 PM
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Jeez guys, let's think 50 years ahead for old Ohio. expanding the campus to the northwest will at least keep the university somewhat compact, unlike many other big universities in small towns. even picture Union being replaced by some sort of monorail system (or even advanced moving sidewalks). Taking over Union seems to be sensible. Bars/restaurants etc. can still be built on the edges. Look at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where they build additions miles away from main campus instead of expanding from the interior. Awful
JSF
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Posted: 11/16/2014 1:10 PM
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This has happened to The Union before, no?
Senior Fan
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Posted: 11/16/2014 1:23 PM
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Sorry to hear about to hear about the fire.. I hope displaced students get plenty of help. I plan to help. I was a client of the Union Grill during my days on campus. I tell the story that I got my first legal drink there.
Senior Fan aka John Lusa
Class of 53
Alan Swank
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Posted: 11/16/2014 1:29 PM
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JSF wrote:expand_more
This has happened to The Union before, no?
The two fires in the 80's were down where the old Cats Den was on Court Street across from the diner. The other is where Carpenter Hardware was on Court across from the old Varsity Theater.
Alan Swank
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Posted: 11/16/2014 1:31 PM
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Pete Chouteau wrote:expand_more
Woolworth's sat and rotted until the University bought it.

There were numerous social and political factors in the amount of time it sat vacant.

Had it burned, things would likely have gone different.
OU didn't buy Woolworth's, it's leasing it.

http://www.ohio.edu/compass/stories/11-12/7/Woolworth-bui...
LuckySparrow
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Posted: 11/16/2014 1:41 PM
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Sad stuff.
Monroe Slavin
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Posted: 11/16/2014 2:15 PM
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Nobody injured?! Thank goodness.
ts1227
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Posted: 11/16/2014 3:01 PM
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Monroe Slavin wrote:expand_more
Nobody injured?! Thank goodness.
They're saying 8 injured, but it all fortunately appears to be minor.

4 students (3 are known to have been treated and released), 3 firefighters, and a policeman
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 11/16/2014 3:25 PM
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Learned something very interesting today: the Jack Neal Florist building is owned by a trust set up by a doctor in the 1930s. Proceeds from the rent go to pay medical bils for indigent people.
OUVan
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Posted: 11/16/2014 4:21 PM
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Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
The two fires in the 80's were down where the old Cats Den was on Court Street across from the diner. The other is where Carpenter Hardware was on Court across from the old Varsity Theater.
Was the first one above the Belk's fire? That was quite the spectacle. I believe that was 1982. I remember the car parked in front getting pancaked when the façade came crashing down.
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