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Oxford, Mississippi


tombarnes

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The problem is this town is not prepared for more people. This is just going to lead to a Bed Bath and Beyond, more chain restaurants, and expansion of all that crap on Jackson Avenue. Oxford really needs to keep that stuff out. If people want to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse, they can go to Southaven. I'm not really opposed to this development, just all the crap that is going to follow it. Go to the http://www.thelocalvoice.net and download the pdf issue. The article by Parrish Baker tells what is going wrong in Oxford. All this unchecked development is ruining the town. Oxford is different from the Hattiesburgs and Olive Branches out there in that we don't want more malls, corporate-owned restaurants, and places to buy a blender. What we do want is more chef-owned restaurants, art galleries, clubs putting out original music, unique shops, and neighborhoods that are friendly, attractive, and walkable.

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Wow; I'd not heard anything about this either. Where will the kids go to school? Neither Oxford schools nor Lafayette can handle those kinds of numbers. Though I think those numbers may be a wee bit over blown; 10k-15k people is as big as the City of Oxford's population when I was a kid.

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  • 3 weeks later...
The problem is this town is not prepared for more people. This is just going to lead to a Bed Bath and Beyond, more chain restaurants, and expansion of all that crap on Jackson Avenue. Oxford really needs to keep that stuff out. If people want to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse, they can go to Southaven. I'm not really opposed to this development, just all the crap that is going to follow it. Go to the http://www.thelocalvoice.net and download the pdf issue. The article by Parrish Baker tells what is going wrong in Oxford. All this unchecked development is ruining the town. Oxford is different from the Hattiesburgs and Olive Branches out there in that we don't want more malls, corporate-owned restaurants, and places to buy a blender. What we do want is more chef-owned restaurants, art galleries, clubs putting out original music, unique shops, and neighborhoods that are friendly, attractive, and walkable.
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Yes, Oxford and Hattiesburg are different - Having lived and worked in both places, their only similarities are the universities and the fact that they're in MS - Oxford is in North MS, H'burg in South, culturally different areas of the state - At the most, Oxford is probably 50k people, while 150k live in the Hub City area - The point is, when a city gets to be that size, you can't help but have sprawling developments with Targets and TGI Fridays - It's not necessarily what people want, but what the market dictates - In H'burg, just because we have the larger Turtle Creek-type developments doesn't mean we don't want more chef-owned restaurants, art galleries, and a stronger downtown - I understand your concern about Oxford, tennreb - I too cherish the small town, unique charm that it offers - But I disagree with your misinformed characterization of Hattiesburg
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While it is true that Hattiesburg is gaining a lot more locally-grown establishments, chain culture has permeated the town for as long as I've been visiting. I haven't been back since a lot of the newer places downtown opened, so maybe it is getting better. However, the people there seem to be all about chains. While the people in Oxford are mostly anti-chain. Chains are inevitable in Oxford, but it will never be what defines it. The area around Turtle Creek has become the center of Hattiesburg. From what I'm hearing, they are doing a lot to reinvigorate downtown. Hopefully those folks down there will see that chains aren't all that great and will support their local businesses. Hattiesburg certainly has a lot more room downtown than Oxford does because it is a historically bigger town and Oxford's downtown is pretty much full. There is tons of opportunity there. I think it could become the top city in Mississippi if the population there becomes more Mississippi-aware. I just want Oxford to stay a town forever, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.
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The Oxford Eagle is reporting that federal funding for the Oxford/Ole Miss/Lafayette Co. transit system has passed the House and likely to make it through the Senate. It's great to see Oxford/Ole Miss committing to this - hopefully it will catch hold and they can continue to expand it.

From the Eagle:

Oxford may get some federal financial help for a public transit system.

U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker's office announced Wednesday that legislation to assist in establishing a public bus system in Oxford and Lafayette County was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and is awaiting approval from the U.S. Senate. The 2008 Transportation-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill contains $500,000 for the project.

"There is great potential for a bus system to serve parts of the city, county and university," Wicker said in a news release. "I am pleased we could secure funds to assist in developing this convenient and safe means of transportation."

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Oxford Approves New Historic Districts

Two new downtown historic districts were approved earlier this week in Oxford. While this is great news, the comments in the article about St. Joseph's are a bit disturbing. High-minded talk about "our mission is beyond buildings" does not help to preserve an historic district. I've grown tired of churches claiming exemptions from having to abide by the same rules as everyone else in an historic district. They shouldn't be granted the right to demolish a good building just because their ultimate purpose is "greater" than a mere building. End of rant. In all, this should be another very positive step forward fro Oxford.

The Oxford Eagle

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Oxford Approves New Historic Districts

Two new downtown historic districts were approved earlier this week in Oxford. While this is great news, the comments in the article about St. Joseph's are a bit disturbing. High-minded talk about "our mission is beyond buildings" does not help to preserve an historic district. I've grown tired of churches claiming exemptions from having to abide by the same rules as everyone else in an historic district. They shouldn't be granted the right to demolish a good building just because their ultimate purpose is "greater" than a mere building. End of rant. In all, this should be another very positive step forward fro Oxford.

The Oxford Eagle

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Inn at Ole Miss to be Completed by February '08

The Inn at Ole Miss has completed the structural frame of its new eight story tower. The project is on track fro completion in February, though the doors may not open until later in the spring. Most rooms have been sponsored, though a few remain in the original building. It seems they are taking sponsorship to great lengths. Is the completed hotel going to have a brass nameplate on everything inside?

Ole Miss Alumni Association Newsletter

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New Law School

A new law school will replace the aging concrete monster from the 1970's, though the building won't go away. It will be converted to general classroom use. The new building pictured in the rendering is a good fit with the campus, but one wishes it were not so derivative in style.

The Clarion-Ledger

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The Presidental Debate is coming to Mississippi for the first time ever.

Presidential debate to be held at Ole Miss

By: Staff and Wire Reports

Posted: 11/16/07

This afternoon, the Commission on Presidential Debates officially announced the University of Mississippi would host the first debate of the 2008 Presidential Debates next fall.

The campus will hold the first debate, which is scheduled for Friday, September 26, 2008.

According to the Commission's official announcement, two other southern locations, Nashville and St. Louis, will also play host to one of the debates.

This will mark the first Presidential Debate for Mississippi and Ole Miss.

Ole Miss was selected from 19 other potential sites - 14 of which were other colleges or universities - by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

The event will be held in the 1,200-seat Gertrude Ford Performing Arts Center on the university's Oxford campus.

The city's 700 or so hotel rooms are inadequate to serve more than 4,000 visitors expected, so they will be shuttled to hotels in Tupelo, Batesville, Memphis, Grenada and other neighboring north Mississippi cities.

There will be three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate next year.

The other two presidential debates will be held on Oct. 7 at Belmont University in Nashville and on Oct. 15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

The vice-presidential debate will be held Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis.

For more information and reactions from students, check next Monday's Daily Mississippian.

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Looks like public transit in Oxford is that much closer to reality ... clip below from the Eagle (no archives):

Local officials got word late Tuesday from the Mississippi Department of Transportation that the community had received a grant to fund a public transit system in Oxford.

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Phase I of the Pathways plan is complete and Phase II is progressing. Apparently it is already funded.

11/27/07 - Pathways Commission explores ways to expand bike trails

Sue Lynn Mills

Staff Writer

Now that the Pathways Commission has opened up the first phase of a network of bike-and-foot paths around the city, the members of the commission are now looking at how to expand the community

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University Moves Faculty Houses

The university is in the process of moving former faculty houses off campus to a subdivision of sorts for faculty. Their replacement on campus will be a new "residential college" patterned after the English model. As I learn more about the new campus enclave, I will post the news here.

The Oxford Eagle

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