Comments on: City Hall needs to step up, find its manhood, and defend residents against Bradley University

By: Name This Peoria Landmark » Blog Archive » 13

Name This Peoria Landmark » Blog Archive » 13 — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 07:22:44 +0000

[...] The remaining arbor of the arbor district, Rebecca Place and Main Street. The other was destroyed years ago. I remember Marcella Teplitz standing in front of this for a photo opp during her failed attempt at re-election, promising to restore it and to rebuild the other. Maybe after the city restores this one, Bradley can use it as the entrance to their new sports facility… I hope I didn’t jinx it by making it post #13. [...]

By: clayton

clayton — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 21:16:50 +0000

Good to hear that Bradley is trying to expand. They definately need to build a better rec hall for the students and a better practice facility for the athletes. They might as well keep the wrecking ball around after Haussler and take down Morgan Hall. The IMET department deserves better than Morgan Hall.

By: Irishguy

Irishguy — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 18:35:41 +0000

I don’t doubt Bradley’s need to improve, update or even expand. But there is a difference here between “interests” and “positions”. We are all focused on the position of “needing more land” rather than the interests behind the need. Until folks understand that, we’ll all just be haggling over the land itself. It benefits the West Bluff to have a vibrant and healthy Bradley. We should be in this together. This doesn’t mean getting steamrolled, but working together to find a common solution. But the camps are defined now and no one trusts each other. So look for BU to steamroll the residents.

By: Vonster

Vonster — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 18:31:26 +0000

I have to say I’m with Irish and Mahkno on the Bradley issue. However, BU is not alone in playing the 2000lb gorilla as residents around the hospitals I’m sure would attest. Well-heeled institutions that’re in bed with the city are always a pain in the ass to us regular folk. I say crack the whip and put BU in it’s place. Let’s remember they’re a BUSINESS just like McDonalds or Walgreens.

By: Mahkno

Mahkno — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 18:05:37 +0000

By the gig… I mean that the ‘negotiations’ are about west bluffers feeling good about beeing steamrolled rather than actually stopping Bradley. Do they ‘need’ that land? No !!! But it will be talked away because the powers that be all agree that Bradley does.

Bradley is like the bully in the lunchroom who comes up an snatches your bag away. The little guy protests er um.. negotiates and the Bully just tosses back the carrots, keeping the cupcake and the sandwich. The little guy rationalizes away gosh.. at least he got to keep his carrots and the Bully guy was really hungry. City Hall is the lunchroom monitor who doesn’t have the nerve to actually put the bully in detention.

By: chad Udell

chad Udell — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 17:27:38 +0000

Mahkno, what exactly is the “gig” that is up… Not sure I understand this xenophobia-academiphobia.

The “finite” number of students is not the problem causign the expansion. The need to improve the facilities is. Take a look at the total number of students for the last 5-10 years and tell me how it is trending. (in 1999, there were 5900 students, in 2005, 5300) On top of that, Bradley is listed as a selective school, so it’s not like they are letting in more students to simply boost numbers.

While, yes, if there are ordinances in place to prevent this buy-up from happening, they should be followed and enforced… I am not sure these ordinances are justified or necessary. Bradley University is one of Peoria’s truly great things and in order to keep it great, it must remain competitive with other schools in its demographics.

So, let’s just do the deed and get the ordinance removed or revised.

By: Mahkno

Mahkno — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 17:05:24 +0000

There seems to be no shortage of folks on the west bluff who accept that Bradley ‘needs’ to expand. With that mindset the gig is up. There are universities out there whose operating philosophy is providing the best education for a set number of students. They intentionally keep that number finite. Because it is finite, their needs to ‘expand’ are limited. Bradley is not one of these.