Rethink College Park

In case you missed it, I wrote an opinion column that was published in last Wednesday’s Diamondback student newspaper entitled “Wawa, good riddance”. To read it, go here.

In summary, I celebrated the demise of the College Park Wawa and how it symbolized the less than desirable conditions of College Park. And while Wawa wasn’t the sole cause of College Park’s decline, it was perhaps the face of it due to routine weekend vandalizing from drunken bar-goers. I hoped that Wawa’s closing could catalyze future fundamental changes in downtown College Park to improve its sustainability and become more pedestrian-friendly. I called on JBG Rosenfeld Retail, the landlord of College Park Shopping Center where Wawa is located, to follow the East Campus Initiative’s lead and recognize the market and need for more attractive options for retail and housing in downtown College Park.

The College Park Shopping Center was built in 1949, where a society dominated by car culture called for a strip mall with easily accessible surface parking at the expense of pedestrians. There are several long-term leases on the property, including CVS/pharmacy and Bank of America. JBGR owns this main L-shaped center, as well as the lot one block to the south, which encompasses FedEx Kinko’s and Applebee’s. The official profile of the shopping center can be found here.

Following publication, I received a lot of attention and feedback. However, almost none of it was from undergraduate students, which was my original intention. Even though the scope of my editorial went far beyond Wawa, I hoped that using it as a scapegoat would draw attention from those lamenting the loss of a late-night hangout. Instead, the bulk of feedback came from professionals and alums, most of whom praised my column and agreed with the principle that change was needed in College Park. One individual noted that it was a shame that downtown College Park did not more accurately reflect the presence of a nationally-recognized planning program, as well as the innovative National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education center on campus.

This week, I was surprised to learn that the principal of JBG Rosenfeld Retail, Robert Rosenfeld, teaches a class in Real Estate Finance in the Real Estate Development graduate program on campus. He had read my column and had assigned it to his students in preparation for class discussion. This past Monday, I introduced myself to Mr. Rosenfeld and sat in on his class discussion. While the reaction to my column was overwhelmingly positive, insightful questions such as the perceived lack of financial incentive for JBGR to redevelop the property were brought up. Mr. Rosenfeld responded that long-term leases that give an unusual amount of clout to tenants such as CVS make a revisionary effort in downtown more cumbersome.

However, Mr. Rosenfeld said that his company would observe the progress of East Campus very closely to see what impacts it has on the retail and development climate of downtown College Park. Finally, he offered a tentative plan to redevelop the southern lot with Applebee’s into a mixed-use, multi-story building with retail on the bottom floor and housing for rent on the upper floors. The plan is four years away, he says, but it would go towards transforming College Park from its present state.

In conclusion, I have welcomed all the feedback that I have received from the column and I look forward to yours. The question I grapple with everyday is how to ensure students get a seat at the table when their general apathy towards these issues persists. In the coming weeks, I hope to come up with ideas to encourage active student participation in a time of hope and transition for College Park. Stay tuned.

College Park’s nighttime revelers received another fatal blow this week after news surfaced that Wawa will be closing its doors. With the Thirsty Turtle apparently never opening, it’s hard to imagine where the increasingly large crowds “downtown” will go Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Can 7-11 measure up? We think not.

While we’re busy dreaming about the new businesses that could come to the mixed use buildings on Route One and East Campus, for the time being most College Park residents are stuck with what we’ve got in downtown. Downtown contains over 70 storefront businesses offering tacos, transistors, tea, and textbooks.

The downtown guide includes the phone numbers and location of all businesses, as well as the city’s car and bike parking facilities. Print copies are available at City Hall.

>> Downtown College Park Guide (PDF)

About five miles south of College Park on Route 1, construction of an “Arts District” in Hyattsville is well under way. Guided by years of planning by county officials to develop a Gateway Arts District in the area, a large development by the EYA company is now under construction.

This new development includes 350 rowhomes, at least 100 condominiums. The project includes 13 “live-work” units, which are expected to be habited by mostly local artists who will run businesses on the ground floor with their dwelling units above. In addition to the residential community, new restaurants and retail are expected to find a place as well. Currently on the drafting board for the town is a new Art Gallery bordering Route 1, bike trails, swimming facilities, and fitness center. The Arts District is designed to take advantage of vacant land and closed auto dealerships, long the target of local leaders unhappy with their existence on Route 1. The expectation is that the project will improve conditions along Route 1 in Hyattsville. The Washington Post reported on development in the Arts District in December.

Do not some of these same conditions exist along the Route 1 sector next to campus in College Park? An empty furniture store lies across from Plato’s Diner; an old administration building behind Kinko’s is abandoned. Further North, the condition of Route 1 worsens. However, what exists in Hyattsville that will hopefully be contagious to its neighboring towns along Route 1 is the cooperative excitement of residents and businesses. College Park has potential to integrate its downtown with its community of permanent residents and university students. Hopefully the Arts District to our south will spark positive development in College Park.

Today’s Washington Post includes a story about East Campus development, the first time the Post has reported on the project. The story summarizes the project rather quickly and mentions some of its goals, including the aim to increase the university’s supply of graduate housing.

The article also mentions the concern some current business-owners have as to the impact that such a large development may have on the existing downtown:

“One of the goals of this east campus project is to help all of the area,” said John Brown III, who is working with a university committee on behalf of downtown businesses. “It doesn’t benefit if all of a sudden that area becomes a wonderful new town center and we see everything else decay.”

Also in the works, says the article, is some sort of revenue transfer agreement between the University and the City, which no doubt feels entitled to some of the action.

Students who face lines, crowds, and repetitiveness at the current downtown College Park bars have eagerly awaited the opening of The Thirsty Turtle since the beginning of this fall semester. While nobody knows exactly how long that wait will continue, we at least have some idea why it exists.

We have heard from several sources that The Thirsty Turtle has not opened due to a conflict between the bar owners and the owner of the alley behind the property. Apparently the alley-owner will not allow The Thirsty Turtle to open its back doors to the alley. Without this back exit, the bar does not meet the fire safety requirements that would allow it to reach its several hundred person maximum capacity. Rather, with just the front doors accessible in case of emergency, the bar is only allowed to have about 50 people inside at any one time, simply not enough to do business.

Supposedly The Mark is having similar issues, but having its back doors open to the alley would only increase maximum capacity from about 50 to 100. So, The Mark has been able to operate despite the back-door hurdle.

This conflict is unfortunate. Students in College Park frequently decry the lack of bar options downtown, especially compared to other college towns. In addition, some people will go as far as saying that the reduced crowding more bars would likely produce could have a positive impact on the climate in downtown bars.

The idea of a farmer’s market may seem a bit out of context here with the innumerable quick food restaurants, corporate chains, and densely packed parking lots. Here, students about equal the number of normal, home-cooking, child-feeding residents; and the proximity of local farms distances more than the drive to “Giant”. One the whole, perhaps it seems odd to bring such a wholesome, small-town activity into a rowdy college town.

But in all honesty, wouldn’t it be nice to walk down to CVS on Sunday and pass by a fresh-fruit stand, a flower cart, or a table full of freshly baked pies?

The reality is that Farmer’s Markets are intended for more than Sunday leisure. Many markets across the nation focus on different societal and community needs. The Montgomery Farm Women’s Co-op in Bethesda began during the depression by women trying to bring maintain business for local, small town businesses. The organization FreshFarm Markets also runs a number of farmer’s markets in and around Washington. Oakland, California, an ethnically diverse urban area lacking in pubic transportation has a traveling “People’s Grocery”. This bright red truck travels the city, parking in public school lots, parks, and community centers to make available low-price organic foods, products, and produce to local residence.

There are a number of unexpected places in which Farmer’s Markets have found a home. Madison, WI; Fayetteville, AR; and Denver, CO are a number of college towns who received federal grants for Farmer Markets. In these cases, the market has been used to incorporate minority collaboration within community activities. Opportunities to work at the market, buy fresh produce at a low price, and implement the use of food stamps are a few benefits of the Farmer’s Markets.

(Photo is from the H Street Farmer’s Market in Washington, D.C. by Inked78)

At September’s East Campus forum, we reiterated that the campus and surrounding road network could not possibly handle the traffic if yet more students brought their cars. The administrators nodded with approval, but then we noted that the incentives to bringing a car to campus are indeed very strong as there are no grocery stores within walking distance. No, this is not the consequence of a suburban location, as one can easily live without a car in downtown Bethesda or Silver Spring.

Enter Flexcar. Years after the car-sharing service came to Washington, we at the university finally got a taste of its convenience on campus. Though the $9/hour rental rate may seem steep, it’s actually quite sensible to the occasional driver considering the following benefits:

• There are no mileage limitations.
• Flexcar pays for gas.
• Membership includes insurance.
• One needn’t bother with buying a parking permit.
• It’s the Flexcar, not the student’s private vehicle, that is subject to P.G.’s astronomical car theft rate.

Although it’s somewhat taboo in America’s rental car industry to rent to any driver under 25 (and absolutely taboo to rent to any driver under 21), Flexcar is even willing to rent to adults under 21, so long as they meet several requirements and pay a refundable $250 deposit. (Adults 21 and older need not pay a deposit.)

On the occasions we’ve used Flexcar, we were very pleased and the only problems we’ve faced were during booking last-minute trips in the afternoon, when it often seems that every car on campus is taken for several hours straight. We’d like to see more Flexcars on campus and perhaps the university could use a tiny fraction of the parking fine revenues to sweeten the deal for the Seattle-based Flexcar. After all, it’s the university, and not Flexcar, that has the stronger interest in improving the quality of campus life.

The District, by the way, uses specially-painted parking spaces and stylish signs (above) to increase public awareness of its car-sharing programs.