City considers land grab for museum
Tonight, the Columbia City Council will discuss when they will set a public hearing on the acquisition of a patch of downtown real estate on the edge of campus for the purpose of constructing a historical museum and research facility.
The proposed site is the block bounded by Elm Street, Lancaster Drive, Fifth Street and Sixth Street, which is just north of McReynolds Hall (the illustrious home of The Maneater).
Any student that enjoys an occasional spritz of the sauce should know that this is the location of Bengal's Bar & Grill, formerly occupied by Shiloh Bar & Grill. The owner of the property told the Columbia Daily Tribune on Friday that she has no intention to sell the land.
This does not, however, mean that the city can't use the power of eminent domain to acquire the land. At a Nov. 25 meeting of the Downtown Columbia Leadership Council, Assistant City Manager Tony St. Romaine reviewed the authority of a city entity called the Land Clearance Redevelopment Authority. According to the minutes from the meeting, St. Romaine said he brought up the issue because of community anxiety over land clearance.
If you've never heard of the LCRA, join the club. But the entity has enjoyed some historical significance in the city.
According to the Tribune report, the public hearing has been proposed for Jan. 5, when a great deal of the student body will be gone for winter break.
So, anybody that is old enough to care, what do you think about Bengals turning into a museum? Would you accept a compromise, like if the museum had a happy hour? Thoughts?