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General Ohio University Discussion/Alumni Events Topic
Topic: Court Street limited to Pedestrians
Page: 3 of 3
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OhioCatFan
1/20/2016 12:43 AM
Sean Gallagher wrote:expand_more
I agree with you on that Cornwell location. That existing building doesn't really fit. I think it was Luigi's Pizza back in my day. . . .
That building started life as a Pure Oil station -- as did the AAA office on East State Street. If you look closely you can note the the architectural similarities, including the characteristic blue roof and white exterior. It's really a piece of Americana. I can spot these old Pure Oil stations a mile away anywhere that I travel. I'd really hate to see it torn down.
Last Edited: 1/20/2016 12:44:32 AM by OhioCatFan
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BillyTheCat
1/20/2016 4:32 AM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
I agree with you on that Cornwell location. That existing building doesn't really fit. I think it was Luigi's Pizza back in my day. . . .
That building started life as a Pure Oil station -- as did the AAA office on East State Street. If you look closely you can note the the architectural similarities, including the characteristic blue roof and white exterior. It's really a piece of Americana. I can spot these old Pure Oil stations a mile away anywhere that I travel. I'd really hate to see it torn down.
The thought that just what we need is another complex with 1st floor stores over one of the best businesses in town? Corn wells is one of the very few reasons a normal person (non-college age, interested in commerce) would even go uptown today. Not to mention a business that takes superb care of its storefront and its property. With the passing of Mr. Cluff has Athens had an uptown business owner taken pride in their storefront and property while providing a shopping destination and customer service. Just my $.02
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The Optimist
1/20/2016 11:48 AM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Corn wells is one of the very few reasons a normal person (non-college age, interested in commerce) would even go uptown today.
That doesn't sound like a "normal person" on Court Street. College-people are the majority on Court Street, not the minority.

I'm sure any building has some cool history to it. Doesn't change the fact that a retail store sitting 20 feet back behind a parking lot from a street otherwise lined with on the sidewalk fronted retail doesn't "fit" the mold. I'm not saying that is necessarily a bad thing... The diner doesn't fit the mold of ground level retail with apts above but I think that building works very well. I don't think the Cornwell looks as good. Just MHO.
Last Edited: 1/20/2016 11:55:47 AM by The Optimist
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bn9
1/20/2016 3:13 PM
The Optimist wrote:expand_more
Corn wells is one of the very few reasons a normal person (non-college age, interested in commerce) would even go uptown today.
That doesn't sound like a "normal person" on Court Street. College-people are the majority on Court Street, not the minority.

I'm sure any building has some cool history to it. Doesn't change the fact that a retail store sitting 20 feet back behind a parking lot from a street otherwise lined with on the sidewalk fronted retail doesn't "fit" the mold. I'm not saying that is necessarily a bad thing... The diner doesn't fit the mold of ground level retail with apts above but I think that building works very well. I don't think the Cornwell looks as good. Just MHO.
Well, the Diner is not a permanent structure, so you could move it very easily.
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Robert Fox
1/20/2016 3:42 PM
I would support that. Decent food, but architecturally out of place.
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Alan Swank
1/20/2016 4:59 PM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
I agree with you on that Cornwell location. That existing building doesn't really fit. I think it was Luigi's Pizza back in my day. . . .
That building started life as a Pure Oil station -- as did the AAA office on East State Street. If you look closely you can note the the architectural similarities, including the characteristic blue roof and white exterior. It's really a piece of Americana. I can spot these old Pure Oil stations a mile away anywhere that I travel. I'd really hate to see it torn down.
The thought that just what we need is another complex with 1st floor stores over one of the best businesses in town? Corn wells is one of the very few reasons a normal person (non-college age, interested in commerce) would even go uptown today. Not to mention a business that takes superb care of its storefront and its property. With the passing of Mr. Cluff has Athens had an uptown business owner taken pride in their storefront and property while providing a shopping destination and customer service. Just my $.02
Agree wholeheartedly. I'm not sure I'd have a wife if Cornwell's wasn't in town. Now that David Cornwell has purchased the historical society building, from his place to the corner will be the best kept section of Court Street.
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SBH
1/20/2016 5:29 PM
Mark Lembright '85 wrote:expand_more
That would be a huge mistake in my opinion. There are dozens of examples of cities that tried the "pedestrian mall" concept only to discover that they were accelerating the decline of their central shopping districts.
SBH, you're an Akron-area person so I find your take interesting. I was just graduating from law school at Univ. of Akron in 1988 when they decided to turn Buchtel Ave., then a busy street running right through the Akron campus, into a pedestrian mall to make the campus more pedestrian and give it more of a residential campus feel to it. It seems for the most part to have been a successful transition for the campus and has worked out for everyone. However, closing that part of Buchtel Ave. didn't affect any other businesses that I'm aware of as it was only within the campus the street was closed and converted.

SBH, you don't think the same thing can work on Court Street? I'm just curious. At first blush I would think at least closing one block of Court Street in Athens could have a positive effect for Athens; the businesses there aren't going anywhere and the potential market they are selling to, i.e. the students, are static and aren't taking their business elsewhere, but maybe I'm wrong on that.

Sorry, just saw this today. Buchtel Avenue had zero retail businesses on it prior to the development of the pedestrian mall. The University pressed the city to allow closing of Buchtel Ave. because several students had been hit by cars over the preceding several years. If you've ever been to downtown Cuyahoga Falls, on the other hand, you would see a downtown mall surrounded by empty buildings. It has been that way since the 1970s when they bricked up the street. The city is now ready to spend millions to return it to normal traffic flow.
Last Edited: 1/20/2016 5:32:48 PM by SBH
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OhioCatFan
1/20/2016 11:39 PM
bn9 wrote:expand_more
Well, the Diner is not a permanent structure, so you could move it very easily.
Well, I certainly wish that the original structure that sat in the lot where the Court Street Diner is now located had not been torn down. That was the Berry Hotel, owned by an African American, Edward H. Berry. It's restaurant was so outstanding that at least one lieutenant governor, who was later senator and then president, would take the train from Columbus just to eat there. [This dude -- Warren G. Harding -- was not a good president, but that's another story.]

Harding also has another connection to Athens:

http://tinyurl.com/h2fsg25
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MedinaCat
1/21/2016 9:16 AM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
That building started life as a Pure Oil station -- as did the AAA office on East State Street. If you look closely you can note the the architectural similarities, including the characteristic blue roof and white exterior. It's really a piece of Americana. I can spot these old Pure Oil stations a mile away anywhere that I travel. I'd really hate to see it torn down.
When did the Google camera cars cruise the streets of Athens?? The link I tried to insert didn't work, but some of Athens is now viewable via streetview, including the old Pure Oil station OCF references.
Last Edited: 1/21/2016 9:32:12 AM by MedinaCat
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