Filling the Void

No urban legend or karma seems capable of explaining the

curious effects the 700-square-foot space nestled between the
information booth and textbook section of Ackerman Union seems to
have on businesses.

It may be the location in the building’s A-level, or it
may simply be bad luck. The fact remains that this nondescript spot
was home to a number of business occupants who strived ““ but
for the large part failed ““ to lure enough paying customers
to survive.

Since the reopening of Ackerman Union in early 1997, the space
has gone through several interchanges of various types of game
rooms run by the Associated Students of UCLA and outside
businesses, the last of which survived less than a year.

While drafting a blueprint for the building, which went through
a seismic renovation, ASUCLA decided to put in an arcade where
players could exchange game tickets for prizes.

“At that time we had one of the biggest video game arcades
in the whole country, and a redemption space was thought to be
something that would attract more students,” said Guillermo
Castañeda, manager of operations and recreation in
Ackerman.

The business, however, failed to make sufficient profit, and the
space was turned back to a video games center without the
redemption space, Castañeda said.

In 2000, online gaming center Play FX leased the area from
ASUCLA. But after a year of operation, the center’s owner
decided to move his business to an off-campus location.

The owner wanted to sell food in the game center and stay open
until 3 or 4 a.m. to generate more income, something the
association could not accommodate since Ackerman Union itself
closes at 11 p.m., Castañeda said.

A new year then brought a new service to the spot. In 2001,
ASUCLA placed billiard tables in the vacated space, deciding that
shooting pool would be a good recreational activity for UCLA
students.

The tables, however, did not remain standing in the place for
very long. A year and half after Play FX left, another outside
vendor was placed in the spot.

In 2003 the association brought in Mojo Records, hoping that its
success at the University of Arizona would extend to UCLA. Hopes
that the store would last longer than previous businesses that
occupied the space were dashed when, contrary to expectations the
products would sell well with students, the store’s business
succumbed to the threat of a booming online music industry.

In past years, high-speed internet connections have contributed
to an exponential growth in online music file-sharing. Though the
trend ebbed after several lawsuits filed against downloaders, a
rise of legal online music services such as Apple’s IPOD
poses a threat to the the survival of traditional music stores.

Mojo Records, which left in early 2003, is not the sole victim
of a competing online market. In the past year, Wherehouse Music
and Tower Records in Westwood Village also closed down due to a
drop in sales.

Despite a discouraging financial history for occupants of the
Ackerman space, ASUCLA members said it is still a good spot.

“I don’t think the place is jinxed … It’s
just a matter of finding the right business for that space,”
said Rich Delia, finance director for the association.

Delia said the two outside businesses “were not the kind
of businesses that have long lives.” Improvements in home
entertainment technology and the growth of the online music
industry have decreased the number of customers not only for Play
FX and Mojo Records, but also for similar stores across the
nation.

Many students said they buy CDs in record stores, but Mojo
Records did not offer enough variety of music.

“Mojo Records didn’t have the kind of music I
like,” said third-year psychobiology student Sandra
Pineda.

The limited square footage of the space poses a problem for
ASUCLA in attracting large companies such as Blockbuster Video,
which can offer a larger variety of products and is established
enough to sustain preliminary financial losses.

“It is a very attractive space because it’s out in
the front, but large companies are not interested because
it’s too small for them,” said Ackerman Union Director
Jerry Mann.

Mann said ASUCLA is currently looking to fill the space with a
new service.

“Every day that we have a vacant space in the union,
it’s a loss of one service for students,” Mann
said.

ASUCLA has suggested a number of different service options for
the spot, ranging from a comic book store to a cell phone service
company.

Some students said they are already satisfied with the range of
services currently offered in Ackerman Union.

“I can already find everything I need there,” said
Nikhil Vasa, a second-year business economics student.

However, the current state of the Food Services Master Plan,
which aims to revitalize ASUCLA food services, is slowing down the
process of leasing the spot to outside vendors. With preliminary
figures predicting a decrease in the number of students enrolling
at the university, ASUCLA is considering closing down Campus
Corner, where Taco Bell is currently located.

“If we close down one food facility on campus, we might
need to consider expansion of the Cooperage,” Mann said.

Under this possibility, the Cooperage would be expanded to
include parts of the area currently occupied by X-Cape. The arcade
would then be shifted over to the vacant spot.

“We’re trying to hold off on that space while
we’re trying to assess where to go with the Food Services
Master Plan,” he said.