Officials at the University of Hawai'i, a quintessential "commuter campus," have long dreamed of creating more of a true university town atmosphere around the Manoa campus. That was one of the major — unfulfilled — goals of former President Evan Dobelle.

The task is not easy: The freeway slices directly between the campus and nearby Mo'ili'ili-McCully, with its small shops, restaurants and the Varsity Theater.

There is little room to develop a town-and-gown urban environment in the mauka direction since most of the available land is built up with residential housing, shopping and Mid-Pacific Institute.

Still, the dream remains, and it is an important one. Dobelle made an important point in noting that a vibrant and closely linked community around a university is one element that separates the average from the exceptional.

Thus, it is intriguing news that local developer Peter Savio is talking about remodeling the retail plaza Puck's Alley in Mo'ili'ili to include several hundred dorm rooms and a new complex of shops.

At this point, the proposal is more concept than reality. Other plans for the area have fallen through.

But it if happens, the dorm and retail complex would be an important igniter of a true relationship between the campus and its closest community. A key, of course, will be finding a sensible and attractive way of linking the upper campus with the lower community through walkways, shuttles or other means. The freeway is a major barrier.

University officials should take this new commercial interest in their students and in the potential for this seriously. With the right kind of cooperation and heads-up planning, the long-postponed dream of creating a true "university town" could become reality.