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| The above-ground entrance to Drake State's downtown classrooms. (Photo credit: James Vandiver) |
I challenge you to find me a successful downtown without a significant college presence nearby. Chattanooga has UTC. Nashville has Vanderbilt. Savannah has SCAD. Colleges can be major anchors to a city's downtown, bringing a large workforce and a young, urban-friendly 24-hour population that are needed to attract retail and restaurants to the core.
Some of you may recall that Drake State moved some of its classes downtown to the basement of the Times Building. While that was a valiant effort, it hasn't packed the bars and restaurants in the city center as originally hoped, and the adjacent parking lot is only half-full most days. If a college were to make a significant impact downtown, it will have to be highly visible in terms of location and the number of students.
The most logical college to move downtown would be Calhoun, considering they have been looking for a permanent home for nearly twenty years. Their Huntsville campus is located in a former manufacturing facility shared with Sci-Quest, and with over 7,000 students has outgrown that space. The rest of the colleges here (UAH, A&M, Oakwood, and Drake) have established campuses and could not feasibly move a significant amount of their facilities, though I would welcome an expansion of Drake State's downtown presence.**
Moving Calhoun and/or Drake State would bring significant numbers of students and faculty downtown during the day, but because neither school has students who live on campus, it wouldn't help solve one of the issues with our current downtown-- the lack of a residential population that sticks around after 5. One solution to this is to develop student apartments that would cater to students of the three four-year colleges, with frequent transit service between city center and their main campuses, among other amenities catered towards college students (a library/study hall, entertainment room, convenience store).
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| A map of potential college campus sites in and around downtown. (Map: Google; Illustration by James Vandiver) |
*I have heard before that Calhoun planned a downtown campus in the late 1980s, though I have never been able to independently verify that.
**I understand there is some political conflict between Drake State and Calhoun about the latter "encroaching" on the former's "territory." However, this is not a political blog, and as such, I will leave that issue to other media. The downtown campus idea can work for either Drake or Calhoun, or both... The more, the merrier!
What a great idea! Moving Calhoun downtown would completely change the face of the area. Businesses would definitely have an incentive to move downtown.
ReplyDeleteWhere are all these commuter students supposed to park? Downtown is already very limited in that regard, not to mention the added traffic that would be forced down those unexpandable city streets. Research Park is much better suited to handle this kind of development.
ReplyDeleteGreat Idea! This would create a huge impact downtown! As for parking..just like anywhere Calhoun builds I'm sure parking would be considered in the building plans. Whether they create acres upon acres of surface parking or a parking garage.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of "successful downtowns", I don't think of Huntsville. Although Huntsville's downtown is beautiful, I don't believe a college like Calhoun would be appropriate. I think downtown Huntsville needs more people for businesses admittedly, but I'm not sure if this is the way to get more activity in the area. I personally would like to see a smaller school there such as a graduate school division. That would be amazing!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 2: Sounds like someone bought into the common myth that downtown doesn't have enough parking. There is plenty of parking downtown. It's just not as obvious as the seas of surface parking you see in the rest of the city; much of the parking is hidden in garages and away from the street (where it belongs). Despite this, a significant downtown college would probably have to build a parking garage and/or park and ride lots to accommodate students and faculty, paid for by parking fees (similar to UAH).
ReplyDeleteI like this idea...the best place (of your choices) would definitely be the Lincoln Homes site, it is just close enough to the bars/"clubs" that are downtown; an attractive attraction for college students. THOUGH a commuter school (Calhoun is for sure one of those) would not be the optimal choice, if the goal was to bring a close/live-on population. A school the size of Wallace State, with students that live on campus, would be perfect for downtown. They could even play their basketball/volleyball games and such in the VBC. Students that live on campus would be just a few blocks away from the "downtown" part of downtown. Plus, the indoor football team and hockey team would benefit from a "college night" at games, with a college right next door.
ReplyDeleteThis along with a Downtown Research Park with a lite rail
ReplyDeleteconnection to the main Calhoun Campus, (the tracks run right by it)would make for the greatest downtown development in the Southeast. The research park could consist of high rises (smaller companies that don't need or want huge tracts of land) that would include parking garage, also a greenway linking it to Big Spring.
Location would be areas along Church and Meridian north of Holmes, with the college
in the Lincoln Mills area. A vintage trolley down Meridian would make easy access to Five Points, Councill Court development,
Constellation, VBC etc. Include in this apartments. condos, street level retail along Meridian.
It would be great! Oh well back to huge asphalt parking lots.
James, I think your desire to engineer a new downtown for Huntsville is admirable, but this isn't "Sim City." Before you try to fundamentally transform downtown based on what you perceive (in all your wisdom) to be the ideal urban society, perhaps you should first try living in the real world a while. I would suggest that after you graduate from college, you move to a big urban city and live there for a few years before you start trying to turn Huntsville into your own Urban Utopia. If after living in a big city, complete with a congested downtown area, you may want to return to Huntsville and start a business - perhaps in the downtown area.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a college, whether Calhoun or some other school, moving to downtown. Putting a campus at Lincoln Park would help rejuvenate the area. If the college thinks ahead and puts in an appropriately sized parking garage then parking shouldn't be an issue.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a splendid idea. The more mass gathered downtown, the more of a synergy that is developed. That synergy will never develop for Calhoun out on the plains of suburbia.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the posters here. Calhoun's goal isn't to grow our downtown. Parking and traffic would be a huge issue. Not to mention, there are a lot of contractors taking night classes which makes Research Park much more convenient.
ReplyDeletePlus, would we really want a CC to be that college? UTC, Vanderbilt, NYU are major universities that turn out real degrees. They're committed to advancing art, technology, and liberal sciences whereas Calhoun is a for-profit school looking for customers...not to diminish their role in high education.
I agree with many of the posters here. Calhoun's goal isn't to grow our downtown. Parking and traffic would be a huge issue. Not to mention, there are a lot of contractors taking night classes which makes Research Park much more convenient.
ReplyDeletePlus, would we really want a CC to be that college? UTC, Vanderbilt, NYU are major universities that turn out real degrees. They're committed to advancing art, technology, and liberal sciences whereas Calhoun is a for-profit school looking for customers...not to diminish their role in high education.
Calhoun would be fine in downtown. Look what they're doing in Decatur? Partnering with Athens St to provide a four year degree.
ReplyDeleteYes, moving Calhoun downtown would be one of many great initiatives Huntsville should consider. The Huntsville Stars should also be located closer to downtown as well and condominiums should also be considered. The resulting dynamics would be staggering. More restaurants and businesses would likely follow. Of course, to handle the congestion, an effective mass transit system would have to be put in place. In my opinion, it's time for the first leg of a commuter rail/light rail system to be put in place. Coupled with the events at the renovated VBCC and Big Spring park, downtown would be transformed into a vibrant, energized focus of activity. The current roads and infrastructure could NEVER support this growth, however, a rail system that connects to outlying areas (with eventual connections to UAH, Research Park, and the Airport) is just what Huntsville needs to become the city of the future.
ReplyDeleteYep. Calhoun initially looked at taking over what I call, the "Central Bank" building. That's what it was when I was kid. It's the tan building with about 8 or 9 stories on the west side of the square. I think officials chose the current Wynn Drive location because it was less costly and the "p" word would supposedly not be an issue there. Speaking of parking, there IS plenty of parking downtown and they're building another garage now. I'm downtown on business nearly every day and typically can park right in front of whatever place I'm visiting. I'd love for Calhoun to revisit the idea, but I kinda doubt they will. While it may be in the best interests of downtown Huntsville, it may not be in the best interest of Calhoun. And speaking of Stone Middle, I really don't think that building is as big as Calhoun's current Huntsville campus. I attended SMS way back when and Calhoun too. But there'd be plenty of parking at SMS with the huge athletic field sitting open by the gym.
ReplyDelete