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I love a rural campus (go Independence High!)

But I was struck by the lack of construction activity surrounding the new southwest Bako campus when I visited recently.

In addition to the stalled projects listed in today's story, here are a few others:

• The cluster of tracts east of the campus along Progress Road, straddling McCutchen, don't exist in the real world. A herd of tumbleweeds rests in a depression east of the railroad tracks. There's basically nothing until you get to Structurecast at Gosford.

• Lennar's Tradewinds East track at Harris, by the tracks, appeared to have no work going on although utilities were in. Were workers just off that day or have they left that sitting for now?

• I didn't get a chance to check on the big GMAC/Lennar-owned track on the south side of Panama between Old River and Buena Vista. A few homes have been sold; is construction continuing there?

Retail and commercial also seemed iffy:

• A retail/mixed use lot at the northwest corner of Panama and Old River was for sale, a sign showed.

• The lot at the southwest corner of Gosford and Harris (Shops at River Walk) also had a for sale sign.

• Most of the nice new office buildings on Harris between Gosford and Old River were empty.

Discussion questions:

- Will the real estate market recovery look like those past or are we dealing with a new animal?

- Do you like rural campuses? (Me first: I do, I do!)

- What's up with retail/commercial out there...???

Gretchen Wenner, staff writer