Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Wesleyan Backs Off Bookstore Move

A Wesleyan official has announced on Facebook that the university has withdrawn its support for a move of the Wesleyan bookstore from its current location to the proposed strip mall development on Washington Street between Pearl and High.

In addition, at a university-wide faculty meeting, the faculty passed a "sense of faculty" resolution by a wide margin opposing the commercial development on Washington Street, and all commercial development on streets bordering Wesleyan.  The non-binding resolution also calls for Wesleyan's administration to oppose zoning changes which would allow such commercial development.

At a Wesleyan forum last week, the developer said that should Wesleyan decide not to move the bookstore, his company would still pursue the development as a two-story building and not a three-story building.

The developer will make a presentation to the North End Action Team Wednesday evening at the Green Street Arts Center at 7 PM.


5 comments:

snap said...

Ed, can you provide a link to your source or the name of the Wesleyan official? I cannot find the post.

Anonymous said...

A step in the right direction!

Anonymous said...

Common sense prevails!

Anonymous said...

IT WAS ALL A PLOY ANYWAY TO GET THIS PROPERTY OFF THE BOOKS

Michael Phillips said...

My understanding is that as long as Wesleyan sells its property to Centerplan some form of this strip mall development will proceed, with or without a bookstore. The appearance remains that Wesleyan has decided to put its desire to clear real estate from its books ahead of any and all negative impacts the sale/s will have on the neighborhood and the community at large.

Additionally, the Wesleyan faculty "sense of faculty" resolution would have meant more if it included opposition to the sale of Wesleyan properties to commercial developers.