Campus changes all the time. When one project ends another one begins, leaving us students in a perpetual world of loud construction noises — much to the dismay of those of us who live close to the construction sites, because no one enjoys a morning wake-up call from a jackhammer. 

But one place in particular where we have seen tremendous change over the years is Green Street. 

As indicated in The Daily Illini, Green Street used to be the center for many fraternities, sororities and residential homes, and it wasn’t until after World War II that it became a hub for small businesses. 

Since then, we have viewed Green Street as sort of the Bourbon Street of campus — the hot-spot where students can find bars, semi-decent shopping venues and all of the cheap, delicious, we’re-hungry-at-2 a.m. food one can dream of. 

As Green Street continues to develop, it is clear the changes are benefiting students. 

Recent development has added a variety of high-rises, including the closest hotel to campus apart from the Illini Union Hotel. The new Marriott hotel, which aims to open summer 2015, will offer speakers and guests a closer stay on campus, encouraging them to spend time on our campus and not just come in for a lecture or two. 

And, of course, we always enjoy a new restaurant, as we saw with the opening of McDonald’s in August. 

Thousands of students visit the University every year to see whether this is the school for them, and it’s our community’s job to convince them. These developments will encourage more students to see our school as more than just academics, but a place where you can find entertainment, restaurants and people that are constantly working to redevelop and modernize.

We don’t want to alter the historical significance of our campus, but we also don’t want our city to look run down. There is an effective way to make the adjustments. While we might be annoyed with the construction, it’s important to realize the economic benefit it will also bring to the city, which affects the quality of life for students on campus.

Aside from the Quad, Green Street is the place to be on campus. It’s where we find ourselves having lunch with our roommates, and it’s where we will come back as alumni years from now.  

Green Street is central to our campus, and we believe more development will only help build a bustling environment that blends students, city and community. Of course, our idea of development involves expanding Chipotle to take up at least three store spaces and adding a pet store so we can play with puppies — hey, we can dream, can’t we?