The Strip

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>What is Witt’s/University’s end game here on the strip? They have taken a lot of business away and haven’t utilized the space. Does anybody have a clue of what is going on? The Strip is starting to look like a town that was hit hard by the economy which we know isn’t the case. The University has a ton of resources and could put almost anything they want in those spaces but they choose to put apartment “kiosks” in them instead. I’m scratching my head over this. </p>

<p>Sorry for the rant, I just read about Lai Lai’s and remembering how it was one of my favorite places to go and eat a ton of food for cheap.</p>

2

<p>Isn’t this privately held land not under control of UA?</p>

3

<p>No, UA controls all of the strip. They have forced numerous restaurants/bars out the past 5 years.</p>

4

<p>Not sure what you mean.</p>

<p>I was on The Strip last week, and it is doing very well. It’s undergoing steady renovation of exteriors.</p>

<p>Bama does own some of The Strip property …which is why some of the businesses were given the heave-ho when it came to lease renewal.</p>

<p>I don’t believe that Bama owns all of The Strip which is why it can’t control what each business is doing with its Fa</p>

5

<p>Dr Witt wants a more upscale strip. Quality restaurants, higher end clothing stores, specialty stores,… He’d like the bar scene to move downtown for the most part. </p>

<p>I have no problem with his vision. But I do think The University should offer a shuttle to/from the downtown area until the bars close at night.</p>

<p>I will say I miss my favorite bar though. The Booth was the greatest college bar EVER. I heard a year or so ago that a Japanese Steakhouse was going to set up shop there but haven’t seen any signs of that being true. That location is GOLD.</p>

6

<p>UA doesn’t own the Strip, just a few of the properties there (the University Towne Center, where Coldstone and Swen is, and the buidling that used to house Lai Lai’s, for example). The University would like for the Strip to be an upscale, gentrified area (mirroring gentrification drives in other cities) reflecting an upscaled UA. It also wouldn’t hurt if competition to UA business interests (<em>ehemAlabamaBookStore</em>) were also gone. It can’t control everything about the Strip, but it’s going to its largess to get its way as much as possible.</p>

7

<p>Unless Alabama changes its laws and UA changes its policies to allow a pub/bar and independent food vendors on the UA campus, I don’t see the total gentrification of the Strip to be a completely good idea. Sure, the university doesn’t want a bunch of dive bars and greasy spoons right off campus as they wouldn’t fit with the university’s new upscale image, but there should still be an area on or near campus for students to go where they can eat (and drink, for those 21+) relatively cheaply and in a state and/or locally-regulated environment. Tuscaloosa is still very much a college-supported town/city.</p>

8

<p>Dumb question: What is the Strip? Is it that small commercial area right in front of the campus (or behind it, depending where you’re coming from)? </p>

<p>It already looks pretty upscale, if it’s the area I’m thinking of. Although DH and I were surprised to see signs for beer, right after we’d been given a pep talk about how the school doesn’t tolerate underage drinking.</p>

9

<p>The Strip is the area that is by Publix grocery…so West of the Stadium.</p>

<p>Yes, businesses in the college area can advertise beer, etc, because many of the patrons are over 21. I have purchased margaritas at the Mexican restaurant there. I don’t think it’s possible or even a good idea to tell businesses that they can’t sell alcohol to those who are over 21.</p>

10

<p>LadyD, you are correct that the Strip is the area with a few bars, apartment leasing offices, small restaurants, and a grocery store (Publix). As it is off campus, alcohol is sold according to local regulations and people are carded, with Publix sometimes asking for people to recite the ZIP Code listed on their ID.</p>

11

<p>Whatever your opinions on the Strip’s future, it’s rather sad to see so many closed businesses there, particularly on the main stretch of the Strip. For example, four vacant lots are located next to each other. (some apartment office, then Pepito’s, then Lai Lai, then something else)</p>

12

<p>I don’t see anything bad in The Strip’s future. </p>

<p>I think it’s heading for bigger and better businesses. </p>

<p>Anyone with a good business/product can do very well at The Strip. That area is always busy.</p>

13

<p>My main concern is how long is that area going to be empty? It looks bad especially when not too long ago it was thriving. I understand some of y’all are saying the University wants a more upscale look for the strip, but shouldn’t they have already had plans in advance to replace those vacant spots once those businesses are done? The Booth closed when I was a sophomore in college and last i saw they still haven’t put anything there. If they are going to put something there than do it already, it’s just depressing seeing how empty the Strip is now.</p>

14

<p>*I understand some of y’all are saying the University wants a more upscale look for the strip, but shouldn’t they have already had plans in advance to replace those vacant spots once those businesses are done? *</p>

<p>I don’t think any area will stay empty long since that area gets so much traffic. Now that Bama is doing better in several sports, the area gets heavy attention year-round…which is a change from the past.</p>

<p>I know that one family that posts here on CC is opening a restaurant in T-town…don’t know if it’s on The Strip or not.</p>

<p>And, we don’t know if the Tornado has interfered with any business getting whatever paperwork/construction needed to remodel a site for their own. </p>

<p>There’s a Lai Lai in Northport…did it move there or was that another location?</p>

<p>Does anyone know why Lai Lai’s lease wasn’t renewed? I know that Swen Chinese is on The Strip, but there’s business for both. </p>

<p>I wonder if it was because UA wanted them to do some exterior improvements (signage, etc) and they refused? </p>

<p>*Lai Lai Chinese Restaurant, a family-owned business on the Strip, could close next month.</p>

<p>Its lease expires at the end of March, and its landlord, the University of Alabama, has given the restaurant a one-month lease extension.</p>

<p>“We are looking for a good location to reopen,” said Jennifer Chen, who manages the restaurant that her parents opened at 1205 University Boulevard in 1998.</p>

<p>She said her family wants to keep Lai Lai in Tuscaloosa, and her family hopes to seek a new lease with UA to keep its Strip location.</p>

<p>Cathy Andreen, UA’s director of media relations, said the university will soon advertise requests for proposals from anyone interested in renting the space.</p>

<p>Proposals will then be evaluated to see which best serve the university’s needs, Andreen said.</p>

<p>Chen said Lai Lai will submit an aggressive proposal to stay at the University Boulevard site. “We are definitely going to take a shot at it,” she said.</p>

<p>If that fails, her family hopes to find a new location where they could reopen Lai Lai, she said.</p>

<p>UA bought the building that houses the restaurant and other businesses in 2006 for $2.1 million. It agreed to honor the tenants’ leases until they expired, Andreen said.</p>

<p>A month before the UA purchase, The Booth, a bar located in the building, closed when its lease was not renewed. The Booth reopened later downtown.</p>

<p>In 2008, Cheap Shots, another bar that rented space in the building, closed when the university did not renew its lease.</p>

<p>Pepito’s and Pita Pit, two other restaurants that are tenants in the building, have leases that will expire later.</p>

<p>Chen said Lai Lai is popular with UA students, faculty and staff but also has regular customers from around town.</p>

<p>The restaurant is opened seven days a week and specializes in American-style Chinese cuisine. In recent years, it added some traditional Chinese dishes, which Chen said have made it a popular destination for UA students from China.</p>

<p>“They tell us it reminds them of home,” she said.*</p>

<p>Will Pepitos and Pita Pit have their leases renewed? anyone know?</p>

15

<p>I think Pepitos and Lai Lai were given the boot because they were not upscale enough for the new landlord.</p>

16

<p>Well, Swen’s isn’t upscale either…and certainly Moe’s isn’t upscale.</p>

<p>I don’t think that’s the deal. I think UA doesn’t like it if you won’t keep the exterior of the building/signage looking good. </p>

<p>it’s obvious that Bama and T-town want that whole University Blvd to look good. The ongoing renovation of Downtown is what the city and Bama wanted. </p>

<p>When you look at the money/effort that Bama has put into with attractive signage, street lighting, etc, within several blocks of the campus, it makes sense that they don’t want places that look divey surrounding the campus. </p>

<p>It’s kind of like a Homeowners Assoc…they want everyone’s place to have an attractive exterior. lol</p>

<p>I just don’t think we’re getting all the info from the business owners. When Bama bought those buildings, they must have made some stipulations that would go into affect when these people’s leases were up…and these businesses didn’t want to do abide by them…whatever they are. </p>

<p>Of course, these booted vendors aren’t going to offer that they didn’t want to cooperate with these stipulations …instead, they prefer letting the media think that big bad Bama was just being mean to them. </p>

<p>This is NOT unusual at all for a large entity (such as a college) to exert some control over what businesses can exist in areas that they can control. They pay for such control…it ain’t free. ;)</p>

<p>When my kids’ Catholic high school bought new 59 acres to build a new campus, the contract stated that they would have control over what businesses would be allowed to exist within a certain area. A school doesn’t want some porno shop, strip club, or similar setting up business within a close distance…so they pay for the right to prevent that. They also paid to have options on all the surrounding property.</p>

17

<p>I’m thinking a hotel will be going up in the next few years on Wallace Wade ave and The University wants the strip area to be a compliment to the hotel with a few nice dining establishments. </p>

<p>I have no doubt that Dr Witt has a plan and a vision for the area.</p>

18

<p>I agree that another hotel located VERY close to the school is needed.</p>

<p>I don’t know if one could fit on Wade Wallace (maybe??), but perhaps in an area that was leveled by the Tornado???</p>

<p>In an area by us, a nice hotel (Hilton - Homewood Suites) was built above restaurants and shops. The entire hotel except for the entrance is on the second floor and above. </p>

<p>Maybe something like that is in the works…maybe the plan is to demolish that Lei Lei building and rebuilt it with multi-stories and a hotel…and parking???<br>
[The</a> Village of Providence - Village Businesses](<a href=“http://www.villageofprovidence.com/index.php?mainID=4]The”>http://www.villageofprovidence.com/index.php?mainID=4) </p>

<p>If you look at the pic on that page, the bottom floor has restaurants and shops…the upper floors are a Hilton.</p>

19

<p>I don’t know much about landlord-tenant relations, but I was under the impression that landlords pay for building upkeep.</p>

20

<p>Yes…to an extent…like roofing, AC/Heating, parking lots, and such. </p>

<p>However, front exteriors, unique decor, and signage are paid for by the business to reflect “their” style. The tenant doesn’t pay/order/design your signs and stuff. The business does.</p>

<p>however, the tenant can and often does have req’ts…such as signs can’t be larger than X size…and must coordinate with specific colors of the building…must not be broken, cracked, faded, etc.</p>