I was walking down the Strip the last week and I realized just how much I appreciate it. It has Hungry Howie’s for cheap pizza, Surin for midnight sushi, and when I just have that urge to go buy an apartment, I can conveniently go to one of two fine establishments in order to spontaneously make that major financial commitment.

All right, that last one is a bit ridiculous, which is exactly why I question the necessity of having not just one, but two spots on the Strip entirely dedicated to the sale of housing.

Granted, off campus housing is almost as competitive as it is vital to the basic function of the University. Apartments that are not within walking distance of the campus are practically required to waive the first month’s rent, provide a free plasma TV, give up their firstborn, or throw in some other gimmick in order to attract students and fill their rooms.

Thus, renting a lot on the Strip would almost seem like a reasonable method for the Woodlands and the Retreat to get their names noticed in the crowded field. “Almost” being the key word there.

While I can’t speak as to whether or not it has been effective in selling more “Craftsman Style Cottages” with an “unparalleled resort lifestyle,” I can say that converting an entire lot into what is essentially a glorified billboard takes away life from the campus.

Simply put, these two places come at a great cost without offering much of a benefit. If the constant stream of concerns regarding parking, Internet connectivity and the crosswalk near the Ferguson Center are any indicators, the University of Alabama is experiencing growing pains.

While the growth of the University is absolutely fantastic, when it is combined with the fact that Alabama does not have a limitless amount of land upon which is can expand, then the land near campus is just that much more valuable. As such, its usage should be scrutinized.

This then begs the question: Why is some of the most valuable property near campus wasted on two advertisements that have relatively little utility to the student body?

For starters, I am fairly sure it would not particularly crush anyone to see either of the two places leave. These two “living communities” practically flood students with advertisements already. For example, despite the fact that I am required to live on campus for my freshman year, they still saw fit to begin mailing me ads over the summer, which is completely fine.

They have the right send me whatever they want just as I have the right to throw it away; however, there is not a limit on the number of mailers I can receive and promptly trash. There is a limit for the number of places on the Strip.

By their very existence, these two places are preventing potential legitimate stores or restaurants from opening up, which is where the real cost to the University is seen. Whether it is another restaurant, bar or overpriced memorabilia store, those lots really have nowhere to go but up. A Chuck E. Cheeses would be a better and more relevant addition to the Strip.

Beyond that fact, even if they had some tangible purpose for taking up space on the Strip, their utility would still be limited to a small window of time. The Retreat and Woodland “stores” are only actually open for a few weeks at the beginning of the year. The remaining majority of each year renders them useless empty places with two TVs running advertisements on a loop.

While the lines outside Surin for the dollar sushi and the army of Jimmy John’s delivery cars late at night are a testament to successes of the Strip, the usage of some its other parts should be reconsidered. At a time when the University is forced to tear down old buildings in order to make new ones, it might just be time to add some new life to the Strip.

John Brinkerhoff is a freshman majoring in political science and communication studies. His column runs biweekly on Mondays.