Gables needs local flavor

The IU Foundation owns the deed to the building that last housed the Gables restaurant. The 114 South Indiana Ave. location has been adjacent to the campus for over 90 years and holds a place in IU history. It was once a meeting place for campus intellectuals and hosted the likes of Hoagy Carmichael and John Mellencamp. \nOn April 26 the building will take on the identity of Roly Poly, a chain boasting 75 rolled-sandwich outlets from Alabama to Oregon. \nWhile the IDS applauds the IU Foundation for breathing life into the building again, we question the choice of leasing the location to a national franchise. The ethos of the location is tied to individual, unique families and concepts. The location has Bloomington roots and strong IU ties that will be severed with the installment of a Tex-Mex restaurant founded in Westport, Conn. \nThere is no reason the IU Foundation could not invest more energy into partnering with a business that would exhibit local talent, energy and Hoosier flavor. After all, in 2000 the Foundation reported over $100 million in investments and netted over another $100 million in contributions. The Foundation's assets total over $1 billion , according to its IRS 990 form. It can hardly argue that an imbalance of bargaining power forced its hand. \nRoly Poly owners are cognizant of the Gables' place in IU's identity. The location will be called "Roly Poly at the Gables" and murals within the restaurant will evoke IU tradition. The effort is noted and appreciated. But the burden falls on the IU Foundation to preserve and respect this building with its rich and storied past. \nDuring the last four years, the Von Lee Theatre, the Secret Sailor Bookstore and the White Rabbit closed their doors, eliminating shades of local color and centers of expression. Many businesses fell on hard times after a massive summer of 2000 Kirkwood Avenue construction project, but ultimately one can argue that the strongest businesses survived. Notwithstanding, there is still an intangible loss to a community when its small businesses are replaced by the likes of McDonalds and BoRics. Their strength is in numbers, not character. As the individual spirit of the Gables location becomes a memory, we regret the loss. It seems that the University would do the same, but clearly the Foundation did not see the value of enlivening a legacy. \nStaff vote: 6 - 4 - 1\nyes - no - abstain