OT - Bradley Leasing Campustown Stores

[DUBrave5]

This was in the PJ Star today about Bradley so I figured making it an off-topic thread was appropriate.

http://www.pjstar.com/featured/x1689203555/BU-to-lease-two-vacant-Campustown-stores

PEORIA ??”
Bradley University will lease two Campustown stores and occupy them while Westlake Hall undergoes a two-year renovation.
BU spokesman Shelley Epstein said Wednesday the College of Education and Health Sciences will move into the Blockbuster and Save-A-Lot stores.
The $22 million Westlake Hall project, when completed, will be make the 112-year-old building six times its current size and home to the university??™s college of education, the new STEM center ??” Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics ??” and the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service.
Bradley University is expected to officially announce its lease of the Campustown buildings later Wednesday.
For more complete details, please see tomorrow??™s Journal Star or check pjstar.com later.

[TheAsianSensation]

Campustown is pathetic. They need better stores and environment.

[SaintLouBrave22]

So lets see...

The only video store and grocery store in the immediate campus area are both closing? Or are these already closed?

[Da Coach]

Both stores, Sav-a-Lot and Blockbuster had already announced they would close their Campustown stores for economic reasons. Hasn't Blockbuster been close for a while already?
Bradley had nothing to do with the closings.

[squirrelgotdead]

Blockbuster closed when the year ended. Sav-a-Lot had signs on its door saying they were closed on Monday.

[tornado]

I hope Bradley called and gave the local newspaper substantial heads up on this action,
because the last time they did anything on this order, it made some people down there really, really mad....

[Braves4Life]

Does anyone know when this expansion of Westlake is expected to be finished?

[DUBrave5]

Does anyone know when this expansion of Westlake is expected to be finished?

I would assume two years from now but that is a lot of work for them to put in two years with the Fieldhouse needing to be finished, the alumni center construction, and now Westlake. It really seems like I came to school at the wrong time because I am graduating next December and then all of this stuff will be finishing up shortly after.

[Bradleyguy10]

At least you'll get to see the new fieldhouse

I'm bummed about that.

[Bravesfan]

Blockbuster closed when the year ended. Sav-a-Lot had signs on its door saying they were closed on Monday.

Oh, that's too bad about Sav-a-Lot. Where are the Bradley students supposed to go for groceries within walking distance of the campus I wonder?

Some Blockbusters have closed here in the Chicago area, mainly because they were oversaturated anyway, though the advent of internet rentals has hurt them big time as well. So no surprise there that the Blockbuster near Bradley closed too.

[Future Walk-On]

Oh......ok ok so due to my Chem T major ...they think i am going to walk from my house (west of Markin by Western Avenue)...and go to Campustown? No.

I like Westlake how it is. 90 degrees.

[QPS]

According to this article, bye-bye Haussler Hall, sooner rather than later.

"The use of the Campustown locations as transitional space for faculty and staff will allow the University to complete the new Alumni Quad and west campus landscaping earlier than planned. The University had previously intended to relocate faculty and staff from the College of Education and Health Sciences to Haussler Hall, but that plan changed once space became available in Campustown. Haussler Hall will be razed after members of the Athletic Department move from there to the new arena later this year."

http://explore.bradley.edu/NetNews/Newsline?title=campustown110

[Dallas Brave]

If Bradley still has budget to acquire more land, would the Campustown shopping center be available to purchase? Sounds like the shopping center has not been very profitable.

[tornado]

they aren't making land any more, so I suspect at some point in the future, that's exactly what's going to happen...
BU isn't likely to be easily able to expand westward, southward, or northward..

[Bradleyguy10]

I've heard rumors before that BU was planning on buying the whole campus town lot for development and for a huge arts & music center. Just rumors though.