O'Donnell Closing

[jsglow]

MU just announced that O'Donnell will be closed at the end of the school year.  Surprising really as there is a shortage of underclassmen beds at the moment evidenced by the flipflop in designated roles for McCabe and Humphrey.  Recall that just last fall MU cleared the old Children's Hospital building.  That's a big potential footprint between 17th and 19th.  No plans to demolish OD announced.  On the contrary, public comment is that engineering staff will remain during 'evaluation period' next year.  But I gotta believe something is in the works and pretty far along.  Discuss.

[jficke13]

Well they couldn't probably get a new structure up in time for fall semester so it would have to use existing buildings, no?

[Galway Eagle]

MU just announced that O'Donnell will be closed at the end of the school year.  Surprising really as there is a shortage of underclassmen beds at the moment evidenced by the flipflop in designated roles for McCabe and Humphrey.  Recall that just last fall MU cleared the old Children's Hospital building.  That's a big potential footprint between 17th and 19th.  No plans to demolish OD announced.  On the contrary, public comment is that engineering staff will remain during 'evaluation period' next year.  But I gotta believe something is in the works and pretty far along.  Discuss.

Not a chance they close OD before McCormick. They're probably just going to update it, loads of wasted space in that building that could make it better. 

[Archies Bat]

I'm sure many folks have good memories.  It was a girls dorm in my era, so I have relatively few memories.  However, I don't remember anything remarkable about the architecture, and it isn't visible from campus.  If MU has a good short term plan for where to house students, and good long term plan for campus improvement, I support it.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Not a chance they close OD before McCormick. They're probably just going to update it, loads of wasted space in that building that could make it better.

There's zero infrastructure to justify closing mccormick now. You can't get rid of a dorm that houses 700 before building something else first.

[Galway Eagle]

There's zero infrastructure to justify closing mccormick now. You can't get rid of a dorm that houses 700 before building something else first.

I agree but there's pretty much zero infrastructure to justify closing any dorm when we've been converting common areas into dorm rooms these past few years. 

[tower912]

I'm sure many folks have good memories.

You could say that.    FWIW, MU leased floors in a fleabag motel around 23rd and Wisconsin during the autumn of 1987.    IIRC, Dahmer made one of his first kills on the upper floors while MU was leasing 3 of the lower floors.   

[Archies Bat]

You could say that.    FWIW, MU leased floors in a fleabag motel around 23rd and Wisconsin during the autumn of 1987.    IIRC, Dahmer made one of his first kills on the upper floors while MU was leasing 3 of the lower floors.

In the early 80's, what is now Straz was the YMCA, and MU had a few floors.  Everybody said it was a major dump.

[tower912]

Indeed.   MU leased a few floors, a few floors were a glorified flop house.   However, the students who lived there got access to all of the athletic facilities at the Y. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

In the early 80's, what is now Straz was the YMCA, and MU had a few floors.  Everybody said it was a major dump.

Straz is arguably the best dorm now a days. I lived there sophomore year in 12-13. Basketball courts, weight room and swimming pool in the dorm. Best dorm food and spacious rooms.

[MUfan12]

So between the greenspace directly to the north of OD, the building itself, and the space cleared at the Humphrey complex, there's a lot of room to build.

[MU82]

Straz is arguably the best dorm now a days. I lived there sophomore year in 12-13. Basketball courts, weight room and swimming pool in the dorm. Best dorm food and spacious rooms.

In a different thread where many of us 1970s and 1980s students reminisced about the MU drinking scene and insisted it was the best era to be a student.

Well, for legal drinking, obviously. But the food is so much better now and the campus so much nicer.

[jsglow]

Okay, total left field here.  Understand that I have NO information.  Fan12 has it correct.  the Wells footprint from 17th to 19th is HUGE.  While they must be 'keeping their options open', MU does need the bed space.  Recall the McCabe/Humphrey flip this year for the sole purpose of creating underclassmen beds. I'd argue OD is solidly below McCormick on the pecking order and has 30% the beds.  Absolutely correct that nothing could be built for '16-'17.  But it could be for the following year.  Perhaps they see a window.  Perhaps use Ramada in a pinch?  Build 900-1000 beds opening in '17 or '18 and then demolish McCormick.

Somebody quote me if I get this right.  Remember, I truly have no inside info.

[MUfan12]

Okay, total left field here.  Understand that I have NO information.  Fan12 has it correct.  the Wells footprint from 17th to 19th is HUGE.  While they must be 'keeping their options open', MU does need the bed space.  Recall the McCabe/Humphrey flip this year for the sole purpose of creating underclassmen beds. I'd argue OD is solidly below McCormick on the pecking order and has 30% the beds.  Absolutely correct that nothing could be built for '16-'17.  But it could be for the following year.  Perhaps they see a window.  Perhaps use Ramada in a pinch?  Build 900-1000 beds opening in '17 or '18 and then demolish McCormick.

Somebody quote me if I get this right.  Remember, I truly have no inside info.

That's similar to what I was thinking. If they build a couple of dorms on those sites, you have a concentration of student housing from Humphrey through Mashuda. Also frees up 16th and Wisconsin to be something other than housing, if they were to build there.

[jsglow]

That's similar to what I was thinking. If they build a couple of dorms on those sites, you have a concentration of student housing from Humphrey through Mashuda. Also frees up 16th and Wisconsin to be something other than housing, if they were to build there.

I'd expect that space to remain open unless it's a public space, maybe a modest chapel replacing the chapel in the AMU.  Way down the road.

Edit.  As I think about it more.  A site for the Union that replaces AMU circa 2025-30.

[MUfan12]

Just to illustrate how big that footprint could be if they knocked down OD.

[Archies Bat]

Just to illustrate how big that footprint could be if they knocked down OD.

Big enough for a football stadium.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I'm sure many folks have good memories.  It was a girls dorm in my era, so I have relatively few memories.  However, I don't remember anything remarkable about the architecture, and it isn't visible from campus.  If MU has a good short term plan for where to house students, and good long term plan for campus improvement, I support it.

Guy's dorm when I was there, 98% of my best friends lived in O'D, sad if true

[4everwarriors]

Maybe once they knock OD down, they'll find all da virginity that was lost der, hey?

[warriorchick]

You could say that.    FWIW, MU leased floors in a fleabag motel around 23rd and Wisconsin during the autumn of 1987.    IIRC, Dahmer made one of his first kills on the upper floors while MU was leasing 3 of the lower floors.

I  don't know if you have all your facts correct, but the flea bag hotel that Dahmer killed one of his first victims is now the rather ritzy Ambassador Hotel. I wonder if you are thinking of the place across the street, which is now the Ambassador Inn (owed by the same folks). Can't remember its former name at the moment,  but MU rented rooms there when I was a GDL for overflow freshmen.

[jsglow]

MU recently 'disassembled' the TV lounges that had been converted to rooms to accommodate particularly large Frosh classes in '12 and '13.  The most recent class was down over 100 (little bit disturbing, I know).  They may have a sense that they can 'get by' this year without the OD's 296 beds.  I really think it's in the works for '17(ish).

[tower912]

I  don't know if you have all your facts correct, but the flea bag hotel that Dahmer killed one of his first victims is now the rather ritzy Ambassador Hotel. I wonder if you are thinking of the place across the street, which is now the Ambassador Inn (owed by the same folks). Can't remember its former name at the moment,  but MU rented rooms there when I was a GDL for overflow freshmen.

I'm going to go with Ambassador Inn (North side of Wisconsin Ave) and perhaps it is just an urban legend about Dahmer.
OK the killing was at the Ambassador Motel.    Autumn of 87.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Dahmer

Scroll down.    My memory makes it a flea bag. 

[Eldon]

So I guess this is the late-afternoon Friday bad news

[jsglow]

I'm going to go with Ambassador Inn (North side of Wisconsin Ave) and perhaps it is just an urban legend about Dahmer.
OK the killing was at the Ambassador Motel.    Autumn of 87.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Dahmer

Scroll down.    My memory makes it a flea bag.

Tower, it's a stunning art deco grand hotel these days owned by Marquette alumni and a real credit to the Avenues West neighborhood.  If anything every brings you back to campus for an overnight, I'd recommend it highly.  Let's leave 30 years ago in the past, okay.

[tower912]

I will check it out when I am in town.