City and university officials both say that Campustown is a top priority. We’ll soon find out if they really mean it.

A group of students is proposing that the Varsity Theater, which was shuttered by Cinemark in January, be purchased by the university and turned into a student life center.

It’s the most creative use of a Campustown building and revitalization effort that the Editorial Board has heard yet.

Plain and simple, it’s a great idea.

First, the project would draw students into Campustown. The neighborhood doesn’t currently have much to offer those who aren’t yet at the legal age of consumption. By bringing non-alcoholic activities like movies, games and socialization to the area, the center could make Campustown a regular hotspot for 18 to 20-year-olds looking for something to do.

In addition, the space would give organizations that program events room to grow. ISU After Dark currently packs the house whenever it holds BINGO, and could accommodate more players if it had a larger venue. Groups like the Student Union Board and the Inter-Residence Hall Association would be able to hold films in a real theater instead of in the Great Hall.

More importantly, a student-run theater holds the potential for a transformation in how students perceive the neighborhood.

Right now, a lot of students don’t feel much respect for or obligation to Campustown. For many, it’s a place to get cheap beer and cheap food, and that’s about it. So is it any wonder that the neighborhood becomes overrun with litter? That students don’t seem to have qualms about throwing things off balconies? That they cheer for a fight on Welch Avenue as entertainment instead of viewing it as dangerous and destructive?

One of the most important steps towards revitalizing Campustown is getting students to take more ownership in the neighborhood.

It’s a bit of a chicken-egg problem. How do you take pride in a business district that’s run down?

And how do you revitalize a run-down district if nobody takes pride in it?

The Varsity Theater offers a chance to break this cycle. By giving student leaders ownership in an entertainment venue, and by attracting students to the neighborhood for purposes other than drinking or eating, the theater could help change students’ minds about who has responsibility for keeping Campustown nice. The next time a student is holding a piece of trash, maybe he or she will think twice about tossing it in the street or off a balcony.

The main obstacle to the realization of this vision isn’t political will or complicated zoning ordinances, but something which is both time simpler and harder to get: Money.

Yes, budgets are tight. Yes, the $700,000 or so needed for the project is a big chunk of change – not something you just find hiding between the couch cushions (even at the Knoll).

But it’s a worthwhile project that benefits the city, the university and students alike. And while not a complete solution to a revitalization effort – there are dozens of other things that need to happen in order to get Campustown back on its feet – the theater would be one great step in the right direction.

So it’s time for the university and city to put its money where its mouth is.

Partner up, fund it and make it happen.