Rolla rumor (St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Ozark: sales, real estate, crime)

[ozarksboy]

Big talk around Rolla is that we are going to get a Starbucks! No one has confirmed it yet, though.

I think the big churches in town (I mean the city, since we're just a few hunnert shy of 20,000 now) are going to pray on Easter Sunday for this rumor to turn into the truth. People, especially the newer, more modern types, tell me that if we can just get a Starbucks in here, we'll be seen by outsiders as being a more progressive town and that will bring in even more chain stores and restaurants.

We've got an ATT store now. It's across the street from our still-new Walgreens. We've got a Jimmy Johns to compete with Subway and Quiznos.

The best news of all is that we're getting a Kohl's! That's very modern. The city dads came up with a progressive scheme that will, for up to 23 years, turn all the city sales tax collected by Kohl's, plus most of the real estate tax, back over to Kohl's. This will pay Kohl's nearly $8 million to build in Rolla. Our modern leaders believe that if you can't attract a business any other way, just pay them tax money to come.

We love our chains in Rolla.

A long-time downtown clothing store is advertising a "quitting business" sale. Also, rumor is that another long-time locally owned busines is closing; no confirmation on that, but I don't think most modern Rolla people care. The big push among the modern "leaders" is to bring in a Target and an Olive Garden.

I am not modern. I'm more concerned about all the crime that is reported, literally daily, on Page 1 of the Rolla Daily News.

[Curmudgeon]

Yep! Change isn't always what it's cracked-up to be, nor is "progress."

Obviously what's next is a Trader Joe's and/or Whole Foods/paycheck.

Poor, poor Rolla!

[ozarksboy]

My theory is that the growth of crime is feeding the commercial growth and the population growth.

I think the Walgreens, ATT and Kohl's business development folks saw the steady growth in crime and the movement of gang members from Chicago and St. Louis to Rolla and decided the town had become a city and was ripe for new stores.

I could be wrong, though.

But whether crime leads a town to become a city or becoming a city results in a crime-infested town, the truth is: You've got to have crime. And we do. Lots of it.

Rolla is becoming modern, urbanized and diversified, and that makes most folks happy. I'm thinking about selling my house and moving.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by ozarksboy

My theory is that the growth of crime is feeding the commercial growth and the population growth.

I think the Walgreens, ATT and Kohl's business development folks saw the steady growth in crime and the movement of gang members from Chicago and St. Louis to Rolla and decided the town had become a city and was ripe for new stores.

I could be wrong, though.

But whether crime leads a town to become a city or becoming a city results in a crime-infested town, the truth is: You've got to have crime. And we do. Lots of it.

Rolla is becoming modern, urbanized and diversified, and that makes most folks happy. I'm thinking about selling my house and moving.

Well, remember, we have a Lowe's in Hollister and where we are is far enough away from both Branson and Hollister not to have a tourist problem and remote enough not to be over-built. Best of all, it's decidedly in the Ozarks! Second best, no Trader Joes'.

[GunnerTHB]

Hell Cape Girardeau is almost twice the size with another 14,000 pop town nearby and I don't even think we have a starbucks (at least I have no idea where it is and I don't really give a damn)....but no one claims the southeast part of the state.

[misplaced1]

Sad. Seems to be happening a lot. What used to be the center and heart of a town is being abondoned in favor of chain businesses on the outskirts. The older business districts then sit with vacant buildings and decay sets in.

It really sucks because where I live they don't take proper care of the old brick buildings and they are now tearing more down. It only takes a little knowledge of lime mortar instead of cement and how those bricks were meant to breathe without being painted or coated over and they would have been there another hundred years. I hate to see this happening sorry another topic I know but still I hate to see them go.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by misplaced1

Sad. Seems to be happening a lot. What used to be the center and heart of a town is being abandoned in favor of chain businesses on the outskirts. The older business districts then sit with vacant buildings and decay sets in.

It really sucks because where I live they don't take proper care of the old brick buildings and they are now tearing more down. It only takes a little knowledge of lime mortar instead of cement and how those bricks were meant to breathe without being painted or coated over and they would have been there another hundred years. I hate to see this happening sorry another topic I know but still I hate to see them go.

But, but, but, painting over old bricks and tearing down old buildings to make way for glass and steel cookie cutters and strip malls is a sign of progress, right? And don't people want to be progressive no matter what the cost to history, memory and aesthetics? After all, it's the American way! Come on, small town America, it's a new century. Get with it.

Just the attitude and destruction that went with it in my own home state which is fast becoming wall-to-wall cement and major highways over what were once beautiful orchards hosting quiet streets. I pray that doesn't happen here or if it's inevitable, I assume room temperature before it touches the peace, quiet and solitude we value so much.

[Hueffenhardt]

As newly weds, my wife and I traveled to Rolla to visit one of the nearby caves. We went to a grocery store to pick up a few supplies and dropped in to a Subway to eat, and the one impression that really stood out to me was that there were a number of women who looked defeated and some had black eyes. It made me think that domestic violence must be quite common in the area.

Is that true? I apologize if my post sounds ignorant, but that was my honest impression of the town (and my wife's). But, we did love the natural beauty of the area and enjoyed exploring the cave.

[ozarksboy]

Originally Posted by Hueffenhardt

It made me think that domestic violence must be quite common in the area.

Is that true? I apologize if my post sounds ignorant, but that was my honest impression of the town (and my wife's). But, we did love the natural beauty of the area and enjoyed exploring the cave.

Apparently it is quite a problem here. Just a few months ago there was a domestic violence awareness-building project downtown. An empty lot was filled with little purple flags, each representing a woman who was abused. There were lots of those flags.

There is a domestic violence shelter, which I understand is always full.

Throughout the year, there are lots of notices on the radio and in the paper about domestic violence.

I've read that Missouri has quite a problem of domestic violence, and Phelps County is in the top tier of problematic counties.

[MoNative34]

Originally Posted by ozarksboy

Rolla is becoming modern, urbanized and diversified, and that makes most folks happy. I'm thinking about selling my house and moving.

I was going to suggest the same thing. You live in a university town on a major interstate highway. If I remember correctly, you have lived there since the 80's. I have never lived in Rolla, but was familiar with it prior to your moving there. There were chains back then. Let me think.... Denny's, Waffle House, Dairy Queen, Walmart, Kroger, Hardee's, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, BK, etc... A chain establishment is nothing new in Rolla and existed long before you resided there.

There are handfuls of smaller towns right in the area. Why not choose one away from the interstate and more off the beaten path? You can enjoy the more quiet amenities and if you want to see a local sporting event or performing arts event at the university, you can make a short trip into Rolla for the evening. If not a smaller town, how about a place on a back road on some acres? I'm sure you would like that as well.