Comments on: East Campus Specifications Released; Grad Housing, Hotel Requested http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/193/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:10:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: J.L. http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/193/comment-page-1/#comment-982 J.L. Wed, 15 Nov 2006 18:20:06 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/193/#comment-982 Why does the University want another big bookstore to be part of the project? MBX and UBC are both large-scale bookstores with huge sections for both textbooks and regular books, as well as massive selections of "Terp Gear". BookHolders fills the demand for super-cheap, well used textbooks, and Vertigo fills in most any niche that the bigger bookstores don't fill. It seems obvious to me that a Barnes & Noble or Borders on East Campus would almost certainly put Vertigo out of business, and might do the same for MBX if it is to carry Terp gear and/or textbooks. It would really be a shame for College Park to lose 2 of the very few independent businesses that are left here... Vertigo carries books that you can't find anywhere else, and often has signings and readings from prominent and up-and-coming authors. The Book Exchange has been in College Park for more than 70 years (by far the city's oldest business) and has a very friendly staff, some of whom have been working there for decades. What would a Borders/BN offer that we don't already have? It seems equally obvious to me that the University basically wants College Park to become a carbon copy of Silver Spring and/or Bethesda: Borders/BN, giant multiplex, Potbelly/Coldstone/Chipotle/Noodles, and several family-friendly bar/grill type chain restaurants (Austin Grill, Macaroni Grill, etc.) These places are convenient and no doubt profitable, but they tend to have the feel of a "town center" which could have been ordered out of a catalog. They suffocate local (non-chain) businesses in favor of big-name chains who carry zero risk. This may be alright for fairly affluent, nondescript suburbs, but a college town should have its own character. Let's hope that the University keeps that in mind. Why does the University want another big bookstore to be part of the project? MBX and UBC are both large-scale bookstores with huge sections for both textbooks and regular books, as well as massive selections of “Terp Gear”. BookHolders fills the demand for super-cheap, well used textbooks, and Vertigo fills in most any niche that the bigger bookstores don’t fill.

It seems obvious to me that a Barnes & Noble or Borders on East Campus would almost certainly put Vertigo out of business, and might do the same for MBX if it is to carry Terp gear and/or textbooks. It would really be a shame for College Park to lose 2 of the very few independent businesses that are left here… Vertigo carries books that you can’t find anywhere else, and often has signings and readings from prominent and up-and-coming authors. The Book Exchange has been in College Park for more than 70 years (by far the city’s oldest business) and has a very friendly staff, some of whom have been working there for decades. What would a Borders/BN offer that we don’t already have?

It seems equally obvious to me that the University basically wants College Park to become a carbon copy of Silver Spring and/or Bethesda: Borders/BN, giant multiplex, Potbelly/Coldstone/Chipotle/Noodles, and several family-friendly bar/grill type chain restaurants (Austin Grill, Macaroni Grill, etc.) These places are convenient and no doubt profitable, but they tend to have the feel of a “town center” which could have been ordered out of a catalog. They suffocate local (non-chain) businesses in favor of big-name chains who carry zero risk. This may be alright for fairly affluent, nondescript suburbs, but a college town should have its own character. Let’s hope that the University keeps that in mind.

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]]> By: Eric Fidler http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/193/comment-page-1/#comment-782 Eric Fidler Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:52:17 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/193/#comment-782 I still cannot understand why the plan intends to accommodate so few beds when the 38-acre East Campus site is a golden opportunity to eliminate all housing waiting lists while fulfilling the University’s desire for an urban character. More housing on East Campus would reduce the pressure placed on the existing neighborhoods, surely pleasing the City Council. More housing would satisfy the needs of students so desperate that they currently pay outrageous rents for ratty housing. The university would make itself more attractive to prospective graduate and undergraduate students without having to foot the bill for construction and maintenance. Developers get a greater overall return on investment—albeit they would assume a slight increase in risk for a bigger project, but they could benefit from economies of scale. I don’t see who would object to more housing on East Campus or why they would object. Did I neglect to consider something? I still cannot understand why the plan intends to accommodate so few beds when the 38-acre East Campus site is a golden opportunity to eliminate all housing waiting lists while fulfilling the University’s desire for an urban character.

More housing on East Campus would reduce the pressure placed on the existing neighborhoods, surely pleasing the City Council. More housing would satisfy the needs of students so desperate that they currently pay outrageous rents for ratty housing. The university would make itself more attractive to prospective graduate and undergraduate students without having to foot the bill for construction and maintenance. Developers get a greater overall return on investment—albeit they would assume a slight increase in risk for a bigger project, but they could benefit from economies of scale.

I don’t see who would object to more housing on East Campus or why they would object. Did I neglect to consider something?

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]]> By: thecourtyard http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/193/comment-page-1/#comment-767 thecourtyard Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:30:56 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/193/#comment-767 The University has a latent demand for nearly two thousand undergrad student beds, but they would tear out Old Leonardtown and not replace it? What are they thinking? I understand the need to attract a variety of people to College Park, but I think student housing - both graduate and undergraduate - should be the top priority. The University has a latent demand for nearly two thousand undergrad student beds, but they would tear out Old Leonardtown and not replace it? What are they thinking? I understand the need to attract a variety of people to College Park, but I think student housing – both graduate and undergraduate – should be the top priority.

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