Entering the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel on a Friday evening, it’s hard to imagine that this downtown project was once considered a flop. A steady stream of residents and hotel guests trickle in and out of the building while throngs of Thunder fans enjoy a pre-game meal in the hotel’s restaurant and bar. It is among this lively setting where Preet Kaur greets me, an hour and a half after our initial interview time.
“Thank you for being so patient, we had five leasing appointments today,” says Kaur, the hotel’s leasing agent. “It’s been a bit hectic.”
Kaur is very busy these days showing units and securing residents for Stockton’s only real downtown housing option, even though most people are unaware that any option exists at all. Continue reading
In my last post, I discussed how moving to the West Coast Conference (WCC) is a great move for UOP, particularly the men’s basketball team. The WCC is stronger in basketball, has more national exposure, and provides more geographic rivalries for the Tigers than the Big West. And while this move helps UOP take the next step in college athletics, it also presents the city of Stockton with a tremendous opportunity: Hosting the WCC men’s basketball conference tournament. Hosting an event of this magnitude would bring in sorely needed revenue from the fans and personnel of the WCC’s other nine teams as well as exposure on the national stage from ESPN. Continue reading
Disclaimer: In addition to being an urban planning nerd, I am also a sports nerd, so the occasional sports post will happen, though I will keep it Stockton-themed. When I first thought up this site, I knew at some point I wanted to dedicate at least one post to UOP’s athletic program. It was going to be titled “Why Pacific should move to the WCC.” Well, today, UOP must have read my mind as the university announced that it will indeed leave the Big West and make the jump to the West Coast Conference. There are several reasons why this is a good move for the school as well as the city: Athletically, the WCC is much more competitive in basketball, which is what Pacific is known for after their string of amazing runs in the mid 2000s. For the city, I will argue that the move to the WCC will bring more exposure to Stockton. I will break these down into two posts. Today, I will lay out why this is a good move for Pacific in terms of athletics… Continue reading
