QUESTION: Should University Place Change Its Name To "Chambers Bay?"

Should University Place change its name to "Chambers Bay?"

The News Tribune's Christian Hill has a great report that details how city leaders have discussed it and are considering asking voters what they think.

Councilman Chris Nye first brought up the idea earlier this year at a meeting, saying that it could be a way to increase the city's business scene, according to the report.

It would also draw direct name recognition with , which will host the U.S Open in 2015.

But the name, "University Place," has a long history itself. The area was dubbed with the name around the late 1800's, as it was supposed to be the site of a new methodist university. Instead, the school was located in North Tacoma and became the University of Puget Sound.

However, the name stuck with the community overlooking Puget Sound. Its longstanding school district bears the name, and voters didn't appear to think twice about its name when they made University Place a city in 1995.

The community came close to ending its "place-without-a-university" tag a few years ago when negotiations with Town Center involved possibly locating an office of the WSU Extension in UP. As the negotiations broke down, so did the idea.

The people Hill spoke to in the report offered a range of opinions. Some liked its business appeal, but others want to stick to the tradition.

There's also that little factor of changing names of government offices, letterheads, addresses, etc. Heck, even we would have to change our masthead to "Chambers Bay Patch."

But the payoff and recognition could be worth it.

So we ask you, Patch users, would you change the name of University Place to Chambers Bay?