Oxford, Mississippi

[sfmartin]

Alcohol has been banned on campus for decades, but it is obviously impossible to enforce. They are actually considering allowing alcohol on campus. This would allow upperclassmen to live in apartments and drink. No one is going to live on a campus apartment if the cops are going to take your beer.

[tombarnes]

Oxford Galleria

A new shopping mall has been announced for Jackson Avenue in west Oxford. The anchor store will be a Belk department store. While I am pleased to see development in Oxford, I'm not entirely sure this one will be good for the city. I would prefer to see stores developed in an urban, or at least semi-urban mode in Oxford. This may actually hurt existing businesses on the Square. The development will also include an as yet unnamed 80 room hotel. Thoughts on this anyone?

The Oxford Eagle

[sfmartin]

I hate to see the rampant chain-ification of Oxford, though I could care less about the west side of town and the way its been developed over the last ten years. That imitation square off of Sisk Ave is a bigger threat to local business in my mind.

[tennreb]

These are the same people that developed the wal-mart shopping center. You know, the ones who promised the city they'd leave a wide tree buffer between the center and Hwy 6 and then promptly cut the trees down. I hope the planning commission doesn't have a short attention span. They should be banned from Oxford until they rectify the situation. Besides, the Oxford Commons development is much better suited for the Belk store.

[sfmartin]

Oxford has received a grant of 2.4 mil for path/bikeways from the Transportation Enhancement Act to include a trail out Old Taylor and on the old rail line off of Jackson Ave. There is a matching component, but I'm sure they'll come up with it. Oxford has an opportunity to make a step in the right direction; I hope they take it.

Daily Journal article

[tombarnes]

Agreed. I think that Oxford will move in the right direction. It would be nice to see more synergy with the growing suburbs. Anyone have ideas about how this could be accomplished?

[tennreb]

Oxford is applying for a public transportation grant from MDOT, which is anti-public transit. Oxford will use the grant to buy buses and run routes all over the city. Eventually they want to have commuter routes into the county. If there is anywhere in Mississippi that is in need for a public transit grant, Oxford is it.

[tombarnes]

Wouldn't it be nice if a light rail line to Memphis could even be under discussion? Don't laugh. North Mississippi is growing, and a commuter rail system would make sense. They should start planning for it now- not 20 years from now.

[Clobber]

Wouldn't it be nice if a light rail line to Memphis could even be under discussion? Don't laugh. North Mississippi is growing, and a commuter rail system would make sense. They should start planning for it now- not 20 years from now.

[tombarnes]

Oxford-Lafayette Preservation Alliance Holds First Meeting

The newly formed Oxford-Lafayette Preservation Aliance has been formed in response to the reapid development in and around Oxford. The recent demolition of a 100 year old building which housed two restaurants might have been the catalyst. Far from being anti-development, the group intends to influencve standards for smart development in and around Oxford. This should be a good thing for an area which is seeing rapid growth.

The Oxford Eagle

[tennreb]

The town has released a walking tours guide, which is an interesting read about the historic structures in Oxford. I wish they would include the campus, as some of the most storied buildings in Mississippi are located there. Here's the link: http://www.oxfordeagle.com/Oxford_Walking_Tour.pdf

[tombarnes]

Nice website. Thanks for the link. I remember when I was in college and the owners of 1008 University Avenue wanted to demolish the house. I pestered them mercilessly about preserving it. The building is still there, but the owners did strip away the gingerbread trim. Oxford has some very cool buildings.

[tombarnes]

Ole Miss Being Considered for 2008 Presidential Debates

The University of Mississippi is being considered as a site for one of the 2008 presidential debates. A decision will likely be made by this fall. In spite of the lack of hotel rooms in the area, I think this would be great for the University and for Oxford. As the article notes, Ole Miss hosts many more visitors for football games. It would be nice to have the new hotel finished by that time.

The Clarion Ledger

[tennreb]

Good news....

6/12/07 - Revised plans for Ava hotel get approved

Sue Lynn Mills

Staff Writer

Revised plans for the Ava hotel on Jackson Avenue, introduced by local developer Will Ashley last summer, were approved by the Oxford Planning Commission on Monday.

The look of the hotel will be the same as approved by the Planning Commission in July 2006; however, some aspects of the project have changed, including parking.

The Ava will be an 80-room boutique hotel and spa that will also house 16 condos on the top floor. In the previously approved plans, 150 parking spaces were to be placed on an asphalt parking lot behind the hotel.

However, the new plans approved yesterday include underground parking with the hotel

[tombarnes]

To be honest, I had hoped that the front of the hotel would be changed. The design really bothers me to no end. The roofline is out of scale with the building and the dormers aren't right either. The entrance portico is out of scale with the rest of the building also. To quote the Caterpillar, "It is worng from beginning to end." Sorry, but it is not attractive, and I'm amazed that the design was approved by the city. If they are as contentious about other things like height limits, why not be concerned about the overall building? This one's a dog, however fancy its pedigree. As for the changes, I'm glad they have made the changes you mention, but the design is still ungainly.

[tennreb]

To be honest, I had hoped that the front of the hotel would be changed. The design really bothers me to no end. The roofline is out of scale with the building and the dormers aren't right either. The entrance portico is out of scale with the rest of the building also. To quote the Caterpillar, "It is worng from beginning to end." Sorry, but it is not attractive, and I'm amazed that the design was approved by the city. If they are as contentious about other things like height limits, why not be concerned about the overall building? This one's a dog, however fancy its pedigree. As for the changes, I'm glad they have made the changes you mention, but the design is still ungainly.

[tombarnes]

Good question. From the look of the drawing, I'd almost think they hadn't hired one. Will try to find out for everyone.

[tennreb]

Ask and you shall recieve....

6/13/07 - Hotel plans revealed for Church of Christ property

Sue Lynn Mills

Staff Writer

The Historic Preservation Commission got the first look of the proposed hotel to replace the Oxford Church of Christ on North Lamar Boulevard. However, since the church property is not in a historic district, commissioners could not comment.

City Planner Tim Akers had developer Brett Person and his architect, Tom Howorth of Howorth & Associates, sign a disclaimer stating that Tuesday

[tombarnes]

Was this in the Oxford Eagle? I'm off to see if I can find the renderings. Very interesting.

[tennreb]

Was this in the Oxford Eagle? I'm off to see if I can find the renderings. Very interesting.

[tombarnes]

Ava Breaks Ground

A formal groundbreaking ceremony will be held for the Ava, now owned entirely by the Aldridge Group, on July 10th. This is still great news for Oxford, but my thoughts on the design have been made abundantly clear. I'm praying for last-minute design changes. I have no doubt that the hotel will be good for Oxford as a whole, I just wish it looked more like Oxford and less like a builder's palace.

The Mississippi Business Journal

[sfmartin]

A couple of news notes:

A new road is being pushed through from Belk Drive to Old Taylor Road; it looks like it will open up quite a bit more raw land - hopefully it will not develop like the Old Taylor Place schlop. It doesn't appear to relieve much traffice pressure as it only serves as an alternative to Hwy 6. Google maps

MDOT is putting in roundabouts on Lamar on either side of Hwy 6. I'll be interested in seeing how that works out.

[tombarnes]

Inn at Ole Miss- Construction Update

The sixth floor has been poured at the construction site for the tower of the In at Ole Miss. This means that there are only two floors to go before the tower is topped off. I'm a bit appalled at the extent of the "naming opportunities" offered by the Alumni Association- right down to chandeliers and even individual bricks! In any event, this will be a great addition to the campus. There's also a link to a live cam at the site.

Ole Miss Alumni Association Newsletter

[tennreb]

Here's the details on a new 15k person town outside of Oxford. I'm not so sure this is a good idea.

6/28/07 - Developers announce new community

Alyssa Schnugg

Staff Writer

Developers announced plans for a new 15,000-person

[tombarnes]

Well, it sounds nice, but I wonder whether this will be good for Oxford or if it would simply siphon tax dollars away from the city. The name, Inspiration, is most unfortunate. It sounds, well, fake. I would like to see the drawings for the town. My reservations about the location and the name aside, it could still be a good thing for Oxford. I can see how Mr. Howorth might be concerned, however. Thanks for alerting me to this possible development. This is certainly the first I've heard of it.