The Boot Bar & Grill has been serving college partiers since the 1970s and, for the first time ever, students visiting the bar will have to welcome new neighbors across the street who may create some waves in the party scene.

Tulane Police Department is planning to open a new substation on the corner of Broadway and Zimpel Streets right across from The Boot.

The director of operations at The Boot, Alexander Abbyad, believes the substation is a good idea.

“The visibility I think is going to help the neighborhood and the intersection here as well,” Abbyad said.

While Abyadd is looking forward to the new substation, having police presence so close to the college hotspot is receiving mixed reactions from other patrons.

Will McDavid, who works near the Boot Bar, does not love the idea of a new police substation nearby.

“The way it works here is that police involvement is not seen as the best thing,” he said.

McDavid thinks opening a conversation up about visitors drinking more responsibly would be more beneficial to the city than building a new substation.

“Just putting a police station right there is going to piss people off… piss locals off especially,” McDavid said.

For college student Kylie Klatt, the new substation will ensure a new level of safety to her nighttime activities.

“I think it’s going to be really nice to have this resource if you’re walking alone just to know that there’s police officers nearby,” Klatt said.

Lily Nelson, another Tulane student, agrees with Klatt.

“I’m super excited to have it because I just feel like I will feel a lot safer when I’m going out at night,” Nelson said.

Loyola’s Chief of Police Todd Warren said he is excited for Tulane’s Police Department and believes students will eventually get used to the new substation.

“It won’t be any disruption or anything but I think your criminal element will be aware that there’s a large presence,” Warren said.

According to Patrick Norton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Tulane University, the substation has been planned for years but has just recently received enough funding to begin construction work.

The substation will be 3,360 square feet and officers will use the substation to work out of, write reports and more. For each shift, there will be about eight officers working from the substation, said Norton. The project has gotten $2 million in funding and is expected to be operating no later than January, 2021, at the 1036 Broadway St. location, said Norton.