The High Point City Council voted 7-2 to move forward with High Point University’s request to close part of busy Montlieu Avenue in order to secure land for the expansion of its new health sciences and pharmacy school:
HPU President Nido Qubein has hinted that the university might develop the school, which could involve an investment up to $100 million, in a neighboring city such as Greensboro if HPU can’t secure land in High Point. HPU Chief of Staff Chris Dudley attended the council meeting Monday during the discussion about Montlieu but didn’t address the mayor and councilmembers during the meeting.
The City Council would hold a public hearing on the closure of the section of Montlieu before the end of February, said Councilwoman Becky Smothers. During the public hearing process, HPU will present details on the campus improvements that would take place as part of the Montlieu street closure bordering the university, Smothers said.
Now that I think about it, Nido Qubein was conspicuously absent from the unveiling of Greensboro’s Downtown University Campus. Gboro has been talking about a downtown pharmacy school for years now, HPU setting up shop would be a great display of the regionalism everybody’s always talking about.
But why would HPU leave home base when —as one commenter put it —you’re the lone shining star in a tired town that will do anything to keep you?
