The Plasma Center needs to be relocated.

[mccracken]

Actually I think the PA didn't take up the whole building, and later expanded, but it was still in that general spot.

[zip81]

When I went to the U, it was usually students lining up to get the 12 bucks.

hardly any students go there anymore. It gets old when students have to deal with alcoholics and drug addicts asking for money to support their habbit.

Well, I'm not trying to be flip here, but that's what I put up with every day working in downtown Cleveland..

[zippyrifle32]

You seem unable to cope with the fact that the university is in a city. Just because you don't like what central Akron looks like doesn't mean you can destroy it and run out everyone living in it.

the university is in the city and the nearby neighborhoods are pretty much slums. ua and upa don't like the way neighborhood is looking so they are redeveloping it. cope with that. i'll tell you why i won't go there or even walk by it:1. the people who i see go in there and loiter outside raise the little hairs on the back of my neck. i don't care if they are druggies or not and i don't really need to know. i do need to trust my intuition to keep myself safe, and nothing you have said so far has made me feel more comfortable. 2. the red cross f'ed up my arm (nerve damage) so i'm not too keen on letting people jab needles into me, the money isn't worth it. 3. had a teammate who regularly went there for grocery money (until she pierced her ears and is now waiting for her time limit to expire) and although she said it is clean inside and not as bad as people say, it still is creepy inside and she has witnessed a guy stealing another SELLER's money. i can understand it staying around campus IF they get a significant number of students, but if not, move it further away from campus. out of sight, out of mind.

[mccracken]

the university is in the city and the nearby neighborhoods are pretty much slums. ua and upa don't like the way neighborhood is looking so they are redeveloping it. cope with that.i'll tell you why i won't go there or even walk by it:1. the people who i see go in there and loiter outside raise the little hairs on the back of my neck. i don't care if they are druggies or not and i don't really need to know. i do need to trust my intuition to keep myself safe, and nothing you have said so far has made me feel more comfortable.2. the red cross fucked up my arm (nerve damage) so i'm not too keen on letting people jab needles into me, the money isn't worth it.3. had a teammate who regularly went there for grocery money (until she pierced her ears and is now waiting for her time limit to expire) and although she said it is clean inside and not as bad as people say, it still is creepy inside and she has witnessed a guy stealing another SELLER's money.i can understand it staying around campus IF they get a significant number of students, but if not, move it further away from campus. out of sight, out of mind.

The neighborhood was there first. The U can adapt to it.So you won't go by it, yet you know it's horrible... right... well if your intuition says stay away then do so, but stop acting like you've been around the place, because you haven't.There's that capitalizing "seller" again. It obviously makes you squeamish. You might as well stop pretending to have the students' well-being in mind. If you don't like the idea of people selling plasma, stay on the other side of campus.BTW, I went past today and there wasn't anybody outside. That was at about 4:30 PM; obviously it might change during the day.

[zippyrifle32]

clearly you didn't read anything you quoted. i haven't said anything about knowing the types that frequent there other than my teammate... that would be bobbyake the neighborhood was build in 1870? and it was that shitty then? thanks for that bit of history... i thought my house was more in the 1950's-60's era myself. i'm not from ohio so i wouldn't know, but i learn something new every day.the university doesn't have to adapt to anything. if it would draw more people to come to school by removing it, you bet your ass it's on their to-do list whether you like it or not. i don't think they really care enough about it though. i capitalize SELLER because that is what you are doing. don't try to make yourself high and mighty by saying donate because if you really cared for the cause you would go to the red cross and GIVE, and not worry about the money like i used to do.

[mccracken]

the neighborhood was build in 1870? and it was that shitty then? thanks for that bit of history... i thought my house was more in the 1950's-60's era myself. i'm not from ohio so i wouldn't know, but i learn something new every day.

Yes, the neighborhood predates the U. (There are newer and older houses, of course, demolitions do occur) Buchtel College was built on the site of a former cemetery, and the houses around were all there. Also, you need to keep in mind that the University didn't cross Carroll or Sumner Streets until the mid 1960s expansion, which built Auburn, the Schranks, and the athletic fields. During the 50s, there was a neighborhood full of homes between Carroll and Exchange.John Buchtel was a local businessman who owned a company called "Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company", and he decided to start a municipal college. The Buckeye Works, as his factory was called, stood where the law building is now. There's a really good picture that's in local history books, but I can't find online, that was taken near the present Buckingham Building, with the Buckeye Works in the foreground, Buchtel College on top of the hill (the 1870-1897 big Buchtel Hall that burnt to cinders) and the neighborhood surrounding it.I'm a local historian BTW.

i capitalize SELLER because that is what you are doing. don't try to make yourself high and mighty by saying donate because if you really cared for the cause you would go to the red cross and GIVE, and not worry about the money like i used to do.

I'm not being high and mighty, that's what everybody calls it. I already said I was selling it; I don't mind admitting that. Of course it's selling. That's why people go there. But don't forget that the product still goes toward vaccines, infusion, medications, etc. No they don't use it for lotions like someone in that group said. Dumbest thing I've ever heard... like the FDA would allow human products in lotion...

[g-mann17]

The neighborhood was there first. The U can adapt to it.So you won't go by it, yet you know it's horrible... right... well if your intuition says stay away then do so, but stop acting like you've been around the place, because you haven't.There's that capitalizing "seller" again. It obviously makes you squeamish. You might as well stop pretending to have the students' well-being in mind. If you don't like the idea of people selling plasma, stay on the other side of campus.BTW, I went past today and there wasn't anybody outside. That was at about 4:30 PM; obviously it might change during the day.

I didn't even want to get involved in this.The University (Buchtel College) was built in an area to the east of Downtown. No neighborhoods (so to speak) existed. There was a collective of houses in Middlebury, but the area to the immediate south of the land the univeristy now sits on was pretty much vacant.The neighborhood you talk about was built up around the university to accomodate off campus housing. The Zip strip was designed in the 50's to accomodate the university students. Since then (and because of fair housing laws) many people have moved into the neighbor hood. The Plasma center was set up sometime in the 80's to take advantage of people who needed money.The city (not the school) needs to do something about the "ghetto" around University Park. As well as the Polsky building (the Mayflower anyone). I used to run into so many dealers and panhandlers down there I started just through the bridges to get back to the main campus.But Phil, (I assume that is your first name) it is a profitable enterprise, that attracts dirty clientelle now. So yes it does need to go.

[mccracken]

But Phil, (I assume that is your first name)

Wow never heard that one before, did you think of that all by yourself?And yes, the neighborhood was there on the south side of Exchange, albeit smaller. That was before Wolf Ledge was filled in so there was a ravine about halfway between Exchange and where the expressway is now.The off-campus housing need was taken up by the neighborhood, but first, that wasn't all new construction- there was plenty of existing housing that was converted. Second, that was between Carroll and Exchange. Middlebury was a village predating Akron. When Akron became a city in the 1820s Middlebury and the land in between were all included. Also, by the time the U actually reached the current neighborhood we're talking about (1960s), most of current Akron was already built.I used the Summit County online tax map to look up the ages of some of the buildings in the neighborhood. I found a house from 1869 at the corner of Sherman and Wheeler. The plasma center was built in two halves- the part right at the corner was 1929 and the one-story part was 1951 (of course, it wasn't a plasma center that far back). The house behind the center on Brown is from 1919, the one next to it is from 1884. House at Brown and Wheeler, 1884. Odd Corner, 1920. Big white storefront at Allyn and Exchange, 1900. Storefronts between Allyn and Kling, 1920s-30s. Most of the rest of the neighborhood is 1890s to 19-teens. This stuff was on Exchange long before the U was.You can get to the maps by going here: ClickClick "Tax Maps" on the right side. This won't work in Firefox, you'll need IE.There was a building project in the 1960s near Grant and Wheeler; that's when Washington St. became Wolf Ledges Parkway. You can see it on the aerial photos in Arts & Sciences. Therefore, there's a decent bit of newer construction there that replaced a lot of older buildings. BTW, you can also see how the U expanded, notice the houses between Exchange and Carroll before the 60s.

[bobbyake]

The city (not the school) needs to do something about the "ghetto" around University Park. As well as the Polsky building (the Mayflower anyone). I used to run into so many dealers and panhandlers down there I started just through the bridges to get back to the main campus.

Don't worry. I have a group working on a plan for the Mayflower. I talked to Mr. Testa and he likes my idea.

[ZippyRulz]

The city (not the school) needs to do something about the "ghetto" around University Park. As well as the Polsky building (the Mayflower anyone). I used to run into so many dealers and panhandlers down there I started just through the bridges to get back to the main campus.

Don't worry. I have a group working on a plan for the Mayflower. I talked to Mr. Testa and he likes my idea.

You're going to convert the Mayflower into a 15-story Plasma Center???

[mccracken]

I wish the Mayflower would go back to being a hotel like it was originally. That place used to be a staple for Akron visitors.