How can USF get rid of their "commuter" image?

[UsfGoose]

Hey guys,

I'm new to this forum and really want to get  input on this topic.  What do you think can help USF get rid of their commuter image?  When I went to UF vs USF game, it was a bit annoying hearing a USF fan saying USF is still a very commuter school.  He said, there isn't a "strip" close to campus and no one stays on campus on the weekend.  If you want to go out, you pretty much have to go to Y-Bor City or South Tampa which is across Tampa.  There is nothing close to campus that gives students a reason to live close to campus.  There is only like two bars (Peabody's and Brickyard (now Acropolis). ..I think UA Hangout is still open ..but that is pretty much it.    Even though this guy's comment bother me, it's pretty much true.    There are two things I think would help USF get rid of their commuter image.  One is an on campus football stadium.  The On Campus Stadium was a big reason why UCF started to get rid of their commuter image.  Pretty much after they opened up that stadium, a crap load of bars open up around campus.  They pretty much created a "strip" because of it.  I don't want to start an thread on an On-Campus Football Stadium because I can tell this forum is 50/50 on this topic ...plus it might not be feasible to pay for it yet.  But I do want to argue, I feel if the community of USF were more open to nightlife around campus...that would go long way in getting rid of their commuter image.  I feel the area around USF has the demand for nightlife but no one has the ability to open a campus bar/club due to the community resisting them to do so. For example, the owners of Scoop (UCF bar) tried to open one by USF but the Temple Terrence City Council voted 4 to 1 not to grant them their alcohol license.  I know there is more to Campus Life than nightlife around campus but that is a huge reason why USF can't seem to get rid of their commuter-image. Despite if you create more dorms on campus, you need to give students a reason to live close to campus. Building more beds won't accomplish that. I know that isn't the measuring stick we should use to see if a university is successful but I've read/heard from various people the reason they chose UCF is because of the campus life.  Some of the things they have on campus are football stadium, a huge leisure pool on campus, full liquor pub, Barnes & Noble, and various restaurants that are open passed business hours). They have a lot of night life that is within 2 minutes of the university. All these things give students a reason to live close to or on campus.  This is the same reason I live in Hyde Park.  It is because I have the ability to walk to everything.  I can walk to bars, restaurants, shopping plazas, grocery store, CVS, video store, coffee shops, and a movie theater.  This same reason would give the students to live close to campus.  Like I said earlier..  I know an on-campus football stadium is something that might not be feasible given all of the development USF plans to do in the next year with their athletic facilities. The money for something like that probably won't be available anytime soon. I do believe it is feasible to create a college atmosphere by persuading different types of investors to open up bars, restaurants, coffee shops, etc near campus. Every major university in Florida has a “stripâ€. University of Florida has University Avenue which is right across the street from the university.  Florida State has Tennessee St. University of Central Florida has bars and restaurants surrounding the perimeter of the campus. Now the big question is where I would decide the put it. USF is extremely limited on space... and the only place I think you could maybe squeeze something like this would be on the East Side of Campus (between Sycamore Dr and 50th street). I would also say 42nd street but the problem with that is the USF golf course is located on that street. I really think this could help USF become more of a traditional university.  ..So what do you guys think... Am I completely off-base on this.. or do you agree...disagree?

[SattyBull]

Agree completely. This is probably one thing I dislike the most about USF. I'm not a huge partier but it would be nice to at least have options. I love Ybor and Downtown but it would be nice to have options around campus. Right now all we have around here are places that are nothing but Greek-oriented and I absolutely can't stand that scene.

I know some kids from USF that drive all the way over to UCF to go out to their bars/clubs (Deko, TD's, Library, FUBAR, SCOOP,etc) just because we have absolutely nothing like that around here.

[UsfGoose]

I think this will give me a reason to pay attention to who is running for city council.  They vote no on everything.  I also read The Greenery tried to expand a long time ago..and the same thing happen.  City Council voted no.   

[WoolyBully]

Why hasn't this type of development ALREADY occurred? I can only assume that some of this is based on the surrounding neighborhood and that businesses are not really lining up to serve students (we live in a bottom line world).  University aside, how

would you describe the surrounding area?

[UsfGoose]

Well.  When you get West of Bruce Bee Downs...it gets a bit ghetto and their is a high crime area.  But East of Bruce Bee Downs is actually not so bad.  That is why most of the business owners who have tried to open a college bar have always tried on the east side of Bruce Bee Downs.  Like I said in an earlier post.  The Greenery Pub tried to expand a few years back but there was strong community resistance.  The same thing happen when the owner of Scoop (UCF bar) tried to open a bar by USF.  The Tampa Alcohol Coalition and City Council fought hard not to allow them to open a bar by USF.  Here is a power point slide of their accomplishments against people trying to open bars.

http://www.fadaa.org/services/resource_center/PD/WebEx/Coalitions_advocating_Snelling.pdf

I actually have a friend who tried to open a bar by USF and I'm guessing the same thing happen to him.    So the problem is simple ..community resistance. 

[Costa]

This is exactly right on cue. USF has NO bar scene around campus thats worth a hoot. Nothing is close enough to walk to besides The Greenery, but that closed up 2 years ago, and Acropolis, but if you dont like head-pounding techno, you dont go. If developers were able to actually get a permit, then the night life around campus would get better and there would be more students living around campus. The city needs to clean up the surrounding areas and somehow raise the land value. I wont go to the Fletcher Wal-Mart passed 10pm. I could see 22nd street turning into a solid strip of student bars/restaurants if they built the stadium at the University Mall site. The city of Tampa needs to improve the pedestrian circulation around campus as well. Fletcher and Fowler Avenues have ridiculous amounts of traffic with people passing through coming from I-75. I like that they made Fletcher 35mph by campus, but that was due to the assisted living facility. If they slowed down the speed limit on Fowler, I think you would see more students biking to class. Its dangerous. There is plenty of room on Fletcher across from campus to put a strip. Theres a huge lot where they do the Renaissance Festival. Tell the clowns to find another spot. Tampa and Temple Terrace need to ALLOW the area surrounding campus to develop, not hinder it.  

[UsfGoose]

Well, it's good to know we all agree on this.  Is there anyway that this can happen soon?    Who would you need to work with to get this moving in the right direction?  USF student government?  City Council?... But I doubt they would ever listen to a few USF alumni ..? 

[WoolyBully]

Based on the power point presentation, there is considerable organized effort at ensuring that

alcohol permits and zoning restrictions are going to be in place to ensure there are no 'club' type

establishments going up anytime soon. I think the best you could hope for would be restaurants

but that doesn't seem to fit the desired business for 'the college strip'.

Until some serious 'urban renewal' takes place....pursuing a club is pushing the boulder uphill.

[jaym]

Just about every University in a large urban area would be considered a commuter university. That is just a fact of life. If you took uf out of Gainsville, Gainsville would be Lake City. The same could be said of many smaller college cities. I do not have any idea what the commuter ratio is at ucf but I am sure it is similar to USF and Louisville, Pitt, Rutgers, Cinci, etc.

Everything mentioned above it true that the night life would help but Ybor, South Tampa and St Pete have this covered. Second the number of students that live within 5 miles of campus is HUGE.

[UsfGoose]

Well.. I can tell you UCF is nothing like USF.  UCF (like USF is in an urban area).    But they have ALOT of nightlife around the perimeter of their campus.  One shopping plaza has 5 bars.  So you might not be able to create a "strip" like UF or FSU but they have done it in an Urban City type of way..which is take the surrounding shopping plazas and allow business owners to create bars and clubs in them.  With the other schools you mention (Louisville, Pitt, Rutgers, Cinci)... I have no idea but I'm telling UCF is nothing like USF.  It feels a lot more like a traditional university.  This is coming from a USF alumni.