Over the past year, Ohio University students have mourned the loss of cheap quesadillas and Japanese cuisine as a few more empty storefronts have appeared in Uptown Athens.
Taco Bell, formerly of 41 S. Court St., joined the ranks of a few other establishments that have abandoned their Uptown locations when it closed in April. Even the side streets are feeling the pinch as Happy Kobe, formerly of 30 W. Union St., went the way of the dinosaurs this summer. Not that many businesses have closed up shop, and it may be too soon to tell if this is a trend or a false alarm. But the holes left behind are still noticeable, and the gaps do not fill quickly.
As students bid a fond farewell to the Taco Bell last spring, their fevered minds dreamed of what could become of the empty building. The first rumor to hit it big was the possibility of a McDonald's. Then the city code director put forth another big name to the Athens News: Chipotle. Still, no replacement is set.
Court Street and the adjacent areas are vital to an Ohio University student's experience. Court Street is often the only off-campus place students go, especially freshmen and sophomores without cars on campus.
With a captive underclassmen audience and a vibrant nightlife, Court Street would seem to be a lucrative investment for a fast-food restaurant. But Uptown properties are expensive (the Athens County Auditor's office appraises the property value of the former Burger King at $801,540), and those locations are still being abandoned for free-standing stores on East State Street.
Will the empty spaces on Court Street mean empty spots when it comes time for OU recruitment? Ohio University needs a vibrant Uptown area to attract new and keep old students. The university cannot exist in a vacuum; the symbiotic relationship between OU and the surrounding Athens cannot reasonably be denied.
It is not the responsibility of Ohio University to regulate business, nor should the City of Athens step in to try to fix things. Instead, residents should encourage growth by patronizing Court Street and the surrounding area. Avoid Baker University Center's West 82, and instead choose local businesses and franchises.
It may seem a distant problem, and the outcomes are not immediately obvious. But if we don't try to rectify the situation now, too soon might become too late. Economic decline is a slippery slope, and no number of mediocre food-court burritos can compensate for a dead Uptown.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Post executive editors.
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Athens is no longer courting Court Street as more restaurants choose to leave it
