Comments on: City Hall Site Deal Moves Forward http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:03:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Evan Hauptmann http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Evan Hauptmann Thu, 21 Sep 2006 19:38:17 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/#comment-56 I agree with everyone's comments wholeheartedly. My concern is that College Park cannot endure another building like the University View being built downtown. If its done tastefully and with proper articulation, the project has a significant potential to enliven the area and begin to answer the need for housing and street activity. We should not have to build outrageously out-of-scale buildings now in order to open developers eyes to the potential of the area. If this is going to be done, it needs to be done right. Hopefully, the developer and architects working on this project will realize this. I agree with everyone’s comments wholeheartedly. My concern is that College Park cannot endure another building like the University View being built downtown. If its done tastefully and with proper articulation, the project has a significant potential to enliven the area and begin to answer the need for housing and street activity.

We should not have to build outrageously out-of-scale buildings now in order to open developers eyes to the potential of the area. If this is going to be done, it needs to be done right. Hopefully, the developer and architects working on this project will realize this.

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]]> By: Justin http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Justin Thu, 21 Sep 2006 02:24:07 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/#comment-52 Notwithstanding the importance of having more feet on the street to generate economic activity, but the prospect of having hundreds of additional residents and shoppers would also contribute more EYES ON THE STREET. More eyes on the street = criminals go elsewhere. There's obviously more to the crime reduction picture, including proper lighting, landscaping, community organization, etc, but more eyes on the street ("capable guardians," in criminological terms) is the essential input to reducing crime. A landmark building is a critical to any fledgling downtown area, as it will not only act as a magnet for pure economic activity, but it will also generate additional housing, (increased downtown "buzz" = more developers seeing dollar bills = increased competition = a market which produces buildings that "fit" the established downtown aesthetic) which is another essential input to creating a vibrant, student friendly downtown. Notwithstanding the importance of having more feet on the street to generate economic activity, but the prospect of having hundreds of additional residents and shoppers would also contribute more EYES ON THE STREET. More eyes on the street = criminals go elsewhere. There’s obviously more to the crime reduction picture, including proper lighting, landscaping, community organization, etc, but more eyes on the street (“capable guardians,” in criminological terms) is the essential input to reducing crime.

A landmark building is a critical to any fledgling downtown area, as it will not only act as a magnet for pure economic activity, but it will also generate additional housing, (increased downtown “buzz” = more developers seeing dollar bills = increased competition = a market which produces buildings that “fit” the established downtown aesthetic) which is another essential input to creating a vibrant, student friendly downtown.

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]]> By: David Daddio http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/comment-page-1/#comment-51 David Daddio Thu, 21 Sep 2006 01:01:06 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/#comment-51 Clearly this building is going to loom over the rest of the city, but really what College Park needs is more year round feet on the street. Putting this building right in the main retail area is going to be a great for business and hopefully will spur further economic growth and even more housing (+less traffic during rush hour). The retail the adjoins the site is pretty ripe for redevelopment at this point. Over the years hopefully this tower won't look so out of place. Clearly this building is going to loom over the rest of the city, but really what College Park needs is more year round feet on the street. Putting this building right in the main retail area is going to be a great for business and hopefully will spur further economic growth and even more housing (+less traffic during rush hour). The retail the adjoins the site is pretty ripe for redevelopment at this point. Over the years hopefully this tower won’t look so out of place.

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]]> By: Evan Hauptmann http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Evan Hauptmann Wed, 20 Sep 2006 20:48:00 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/#comment-50 A mixed use complex with parking garage would be a great addition to the city. Even garages in Silver Spring and Bethesda do well to hide parked cars. Any thoughts on the scale of a 9 story building in downtown collegepark? It seems like it might be out of scale for the fine texture the city has retained. A mixed use complex with parking garage would be a great addition to the city. Even garages in Silver Spring and Bethesda do well to hide parked cars.

Any thoughts on the scale of a 9 story building in downtown collegepark? It seems like it might be out of scale for the fine texture the city has retained.

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]]> By: Rob Goodspeed http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Rob Goodspeed Wed, 20 Sep 2006 05:16:00 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/93/#comment-47 Justin, I'm not aware of any drawings yet but we will put them online as soon as we see some. Justin, I’m not aware of any drawings yet but we will put them online as soon as we see some.

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