UNIVERSITY PLACE
By Louise Heiselman
May 28, 2004
We bought our home in University Place sixty-six years ago. We have seen many changes in Lincoln and University Place during this time. Years ago there were a few days that the only way our mailman could deliver our mail was on a tractor because of the muddy roads. We have seen many of our older stores either move further south, down by Light on Street, or go out of business. Even the Post Office moved and now the hub of the business district is off of 48th and Leighton. There have been many changes in Lincoln during this time. Some things were done and later those in charge realized that it was not for the best and had to revise them. Some times the planners seem to get ahead of themselves and buy up property and then the project doesn’t go through. Such was the case with the North-By-Pass, or Northeast Radial, that was supposed to serve the north part of town. Many people were relocated. The city bought their property and then bought them other homes to move to. This all happened in my neighborhood and then for some reason the project didn’t go through after all that money was spent and Madison Avenue was closed off from 33rd to 35th Street. What was supposed to be a street is now a bike trail.
Several years ago they put lovely cement planter boxes along 48th street. Some were well taken care of and others weren’t. Now they plan on taking them out and putting up a small wall near the curb about the height of the planters. That is to keep the slush from being thrown on the sidewalk and people as the cars drive by. A lot of money wasted on what appears to be a passing fad-perhaps like the changes they now want.
At the present time we have only St Paul, Baldwin and Leighton streets that run from 48th to 33rd in an area from Holdrege to Adams Street. Now plans that will further diminish the number of through streets in the area are being drawn up and are being presented to the City Council and the City Planning Commission. They hope to be starting construction in the next month or two. They plan to close St Paul a half block each side of 48th street and make a mini mall and maybe put up a gazebo on the west side of 48th near the restraint. If they want to close the east side of St Paul and 48th, it wouldn’t bother the through traffic; but between 48th and 33rd Streets, St. Paul has always been one of our main through streets along with Adams and Light on.
No matter our age, we need to keep abreast of changes in our community that will impact our every day lives-supporting those we deem positive and taking a stand against those that appear to serve only a small special interest group and be a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Louise