Some alumni and football fans are saying Ohio State is offsides for buying an off-campus hotel and closing a well-known tailgating event.
The Holiday Inn, located at 328 W. Lane Ave., was sold for $19 million on March 31 to Campus Partners, OSU’s development partner.
The 243-room hotel will be converted into a residence hall for more than 450 students as early as Fall Quarter 2009 if construction goes as planned, said William Schwarzt, associate vice president of Student Life.
The university is undergoing a $250 million overhaul in residence hall renovations.
The hotel’s front parking lot is perhaps best known for Hineygate, a popular tailgating spot for home OSU football games.
For the past 26 years, Hineygate hosted vendors, a big screen TV and a cover band for thousands of gameday revelers.
Hineygate was not only a premiere tailgating spot but a part of OSU football history, said Tyler Orton, a Grandview resident.
“I think it’s a travesty to close Hineygate because it was such a popular hangout and has been with OSU football since the Woody Hayes years,” Orton said. “It’s a shame.”
There is also a concern that the hotel’s closing will inconvenience out-of-town fans.
“I know many people, not only OSU alumni, that travel great distances every year just to be apart of the Ohio State gameday experience,” said Jennifer Halda, a 2002 OSU graduate and Clintonville resident.
Halda said her friends can no longer spend the night across from campus.
“They are all upset and I have been receiving phone calls from them nearly every week after the news spread about the closing,” Halda said.
Nearby hotels have limited space and might force fans to stay farther away from Ohio Stadium.
“Besides the Blackwell Inn there aren’t many high quality hotels near campus,” Orton said. “Now out-of-town fans will need to look downtown and in the Short North for a nice place to stay.”
The Holiday Inn sale affects not only travel, but also family-friendly entertainment.
Halda said that because most campus area bars are 21 and over, hangout locations are slim for some Buckeye fans.
“People who want to bring younger friends and family to experience gameday often had to choose between visiting friends at bars or a private tailgate, if they were lucky enough to know one,” Halda said. “Hineygate allowed those two worlds to be combined in a family-friendly atmosphere.”
Frustrations about the end of Hineygate have even spread to Facebook.
The “Save Hineygate!” group has more than 8,500 members, many ranting about the sale and sharing Hineygate memories.
But to the disappointment of the Facebook group, OSU officials stand strong behind their decision to close Hineygate.
“We must put student interest first, and unfortunately this is no longer the ideal location for such an event,” said Amy Murray, a university spokeswoman. “Hineygate has had a longstanding relationship with the former Holiday Inn, so it should be no surprise that a change in ownership would affect that event.”
The university tried to help find sponsors for a new Hineygate location, Murray said, but was unsuccessful.
The Department of Transportation and Parking will operate the parking garage next to the former hotel for faculty and visitor parking.
