Subtle protest over empty lot
Reporting about the SGA, not a record of it: The Johns Hopkins News-Letter published this and the SGA did not write it, file it, or approve it. The archive holds it because the article itself uses the phrase “student government”.
Summary
- This Johns Hopkins News-Letter article reports on a protest at the vacant Olmsted lot and the university’s plans for the property.
- The News-Letter reported that 25 Baltimore residents gathered at the lot on Oct. 9 for an afternoon of recreation to protest its lack of development.
- The paper reported that Johns Hopkins bought the property for $12.5 million in April 2009 and that it remained a fenced, vacant grass lot.
- The article says university officials did not know about the event beforehand, security staff did not interfere, and participants left by sundown.
- The reporter writes that financial concerns were delaying development; Dennis O’Shea said, "We've been through some difficult economic times," while future plans were expected to include parking, residences and storefront retail.
- The article adds that President Ron Daniels expressed enthusiasm for a burger restaurant at an Oct. 11 dinner with the Student Government Association, while freshman Eleni Padden said the lot was "It's just . . . ugly,".