{"channel":"misc","content":"https://collegetowns.substack.com/p/no-you-and-a-couple-of-friends-shouldnt\r\n\r\n[# No, You and a Couple of Friends Shouldn't Buy a Dead College #]\r\n\r\nOf course a \"couple of friends\" shouldn't.  You would need at least ... 40 people.  A hundred would be better. (<xantham> or, one billionaire who can *hire* 40 people.)\r\n\r\n<<< In fact, one issue that caused colleges to end up closing in the first place is related to the maintenance of campus buildings and infrastructure. Administrations may put off deferred maintenance due to budget constraints, leaving repairs festering. The problems then exacerbate, with repairs becoming more expensive.\r\n\r\nOld pipes can easily freeze or leak, causing flooding that ruins both the floor and ceiling. Roofs certainly will leak. Foundations of buildings can start to crack or crumble. Old wiring may corrode and become a fire hazard. >>>\r\n\r\n<red> if you allow your buildings to not have water and electricity, it becomes slightly easier.\r\n<xantham> it's also easier if you don't mind a bit of asbestos.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nAs always, it's also a \"zoning\" issue: (<red> I would recommend you *negotiate* with the local << city council >> *before* you buy.)\r\n\r\n<<< Let\u2019s just say that you and your friends do not care about the maintenance or the upkeep; there is another blockage for your dreams of reliving Old School, Animal House, or Accepted: it\u2019s called zoning.\r\n\r\nThe US is famous for its strict Euclidean zoning, which means that land is separated out by specific usages. Some low-density neighborhoods may be zoned for R1 residential, meaning only one- or two-story single-family homes, while others may be C4 for big box stores, with a range of other categories and codes.\r\n\r\nUniversities are typically coded in a special \u201cinstitution\u201d type of zoning category. This means that the university can operate some businesses on campuses like coffee shops, along with students in dorms, and other standard administration functions. It does not allow universities to do anything they want. >>>","created_at":"2025-03-03T17:29:05.610597","id":274,"llm_annotations":{},"parent_id":null,"processed_content":"<p><a href=\"https://collegetowns.substack.com/p/no-you-and-a-couple-of-friends-shouldnt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https://collegetowns.substack.com/p/no-you-and-a-couple-of-friends-shouldnt</a>\r</p>\n<p><span class=\"inline-title\"> No, You and a Couple of Friends Shouldn't Buy a Dead College </span>\r</p>\n<p>Of course a \"couple of friends\" shouldn't.  You would need at least ... 40 people.  A hundred would be better. <span class=\"colorblock color-xantham\">\n    <span class=\"sigil\">\ud83d\udd25</span>\n    <span class=\"colortext-content\">( or, one billionaire who can <em>hire</em> 40 people.)</span>\n  </span>\r</p>\n<p><div class=\"mlq\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mlq-collapse\" aria-label=\"Toggle visibility\"><span class=\"mlq-collapse-icon\">\u2212</span></button><div class=\"mlq-content\"><p> In fact, one issue that caused colleges to end up closing in the first place is related to the maintenance of campus buildings and infrastructure. Administrations may put off deferred maintenance due to budget constraints, leaving repairs festering. The problems then exacerbate, with repairs becoming more expensive.\r</p>\n<p>\r</p>\n<p>Old pipes can easily freeze or leak, causing flooding that ruins both the floor and ceiling. Roofs certainly will leak. Foundations of buildings can start to crack or crumble. Old wiring may corrode and become a fire hazard. </p></div></div>\r</p>\n<p><span class=\"colorblock color-red\">\n    <span class=\"sigil\">\ud83d\udca1</span>\n    <span class=\"colortext-content\"> if you allow your buildings to not have water and electricity, it becomes slightly easier.\r</span>\n  </span></p>\n<p><span class=\"colorblock color-xantham\">\n    <span class=\"sigil\">\ud83d\udd25</span>\n    <span class=\"colortext-content\"> it's also easier if you don't mind a bit of asbestos.\r</span>\n  </span></p> <hr class=\"section-break\" /> <p>As always, it's also a \"zoning\" issue: <span class=\"colorblock color-red\">\n    <span class=\"sigil\">\ud83d\udca1</span>\n    <span class=\"colortext-content\">( I would recommend you <em>negotiate</em> with the local <span class=\"literal-text\">city council</span> <em>before</em> you buy.)</span>\n  </span>\r</p>\n<p><div class=\"mlq\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mlq-collapse\" aria-label=\"Toggle visibility\"><span class=\"mlq-collapse-icon\">\u2212</span></button><div class=\"mlq-content\"><p> Let\u2019s just say that you and your friends do not care about the maintenance or the upkeep; there is another blockage for your dreams of reliving Old School, Animal House, or Accepted: it\u2019s called zoning.\r</p>\n<p>\r</p>\n<p>The US is famous for its strict Euclidean zoning, which means that land is separated out by specific usages. Some low-density neighborhoods may be zoned for R1 residential, meaning only one- or two-story single-family homes, while others may be C4 for big box stores, with a range of other categories and codes.\r</p>\n<p>\r</p>\n<p>Universities are typically coded in a special \u201cinstitution\u201d type of zoning category. This means that the university can operate some businesses on campuses like coffee shops, along with students in dorms, and other standard administration functions. It does not allow universities to do anything they want. </p></div></div></p>","quotes":[],"subject":"build a monastery"}
