It sounds weird, but the Elm Court apartments on Wright Street are a big reason I decided to come to Auburn.
When I was in high school, my older brother Jack lived in unit 1203 of the stout little building that my friends not-so-affectionally call, “that motel looking thing next to Sky Bar.” To me, the place has a certain type of charm that the "Loveliest Village on the Plains" is known for. It’s where I’ve called home for the past year and where I’ve witnessed an Auburn transformation that nobody is doing anything about.
We’ve all seen these changes. How many new game day condos, hotels, and high-rises do we need? It’s a damn shame, but no surprise, that developers are tearing down Elm Court to build another 7-story luxury apartment complex.
I’m not writing this to complain about having to change apartments and move my unusually heavy couch. I’m writing this to talk about the slow death of the Loveliest Village and the birth of an over-commercialized, unfeeling city.
There’s no doubt that the high-rise replacing Elm Court will have better amenities and fancier features. To be honest, I don’t really care. The reason I care so deeply about these older brick and mortar apartments around the city is not just because they offer affordable options for students like me, but they offer real opportunity for connection that a $2000/month rent can’t buy.
Yes, two grand a month is what The Accolade is charging for a one bedroom. And while we’re here, can we talk about the Chat-GPT like names of these places? The Accolade, The Mark, The Graduate.
I mean come on, do those really feel like Auburn to you? It would be funny how corporate and dull these new developments are if they didn’t build them directly on top of so many places with such character and history.
The Campus Barber Shop that serviced the community for decades is replaced with million-dollar apartments that haven’t even broken ground yet. There are completely empty shops right in the middle of Toomer’s Corner that won’t be used for probably years. Who is that for?
The Accolade, the new massive new apartments by CVS, had to physically build around one family who refused to sell their home. That is literally the plot of "Up," a kids movie. Auburn is struggling to learn lessons that Pixar has been hammering home since 2009.
The Graduate, although it has some cool drinks and an amazing view, is the perfect microcosm for this entire crisis. It’s a brand owned by Hilton. There’s 33 of these things across college towns that are selling nostalgia while actively standing on the foundations of buildings that created these memories. It’s got cool memorabilia and the people that work there are great. However, the truth is that the “Auburny” feeling you get from going there isn’t reality, it’s a parody of all the things that made this place great.
Our history will never change, but the identity that comes from it is at risk.
If you didn’t know, the actual city of Auburn got its name from a poem written by Oliver Goldsmith in 1770 called "The Deserted Village." It’s not a particularly happy read. In fact, the premise is Goldsmith reflecting on a beautiful village (Auburn) becoming deserted and after luxury and commercialization ravaged the town.
Along the lawn, where scattered hamlets rose,
Unwieldy wealth and cumbrous pomp repose;
Those gentle hours that plenty bade to bloom,Those calm desires that asked but little room, …
... The man of wealth and pride
Takes up a space that many poor supplied;
Space for his lake, his park's extended bounds,
Space for his horses, equipage, and hounds:
The robe that wraps his limbs in silken sloth
Has robbed the neighbouring fields of half their growth
Seems pretty relevant to me.
I love this place to death — that’s why I’m so outspoken when I see us failing to live up to our ideals. Life isn’t all about profit and we shouldn’t settle when we’re told, “that’s the way it is.” If you have a voice to stand up for students and this town, get off your ass and do something about it.
WAR DAMN EAGLE
Jake Yohn
https://www.theoaksontoomer.com/
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