Comments on: Final East Campus ‘Principles’ Meeting Wednesday http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:30:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Greg Sciametta http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/comment-page-1/#comment-107141 Greg Sciametta Sat, 17 May 2008 03:41:32 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/#comment-107141 The East Campus development, though maybe will be seen as productive in the future, will hurt the university now. Any student that is currently enrolled in the university will never the finished development during their undergraduate studies. Instead, each student will see the construction and the inconvenience that the east campus development will cause. For the many students living in houses on fraternity row, construction will take place right behind it. How would you like to live in a house that had a crane in your backyard? It’s very unappealing and noisy. People look at the University of Maryland, College Park as a beautiful campus. Now, they will drive down Route one and see construction all along the east side. Traffic, which is already bad enough as it is, will only get worse at a university which pretty much has only one direct route in (route one). Significant housing will be taken away while the development is in process. New Leonardtown along with the apartments behind it will be knocked down, adding to an already difficult housing crisis. Students are going to be forced to move farther and farther off campus into areas that aren’t as safe as the areas near the university where emergency telephone lines and police are seen often. Dormitory space on campus is very tight as it is, and the scramble to acquire housing in places such as Knox boxes or college park towers is going to be rough. Many people already see parking as a problem. Well, with the construction of the new east campus, it’s going to get worse. All those lots for workers on the east side of route one and any lot behind frat row will be removed per the construction. Where are these students going to be displaced to, Comcast? This is going to create another huge inconvenience for students who already scramble hard to obtain parking spots somewhat near where they live. Also, by forcing more students to park on campus, this probably will cause more traffic on the slow moving roads that go through the university. By knocking down this housing, the university possibly will admit fewer students during these years into the college. Is it really fair to the high school students who want to attend this university that they no longer can come here due to some off campus construction? The school will lose a lot of money in this aspect, and the atmosphere of the university will suffer as well. This project is going to cost between 500 and 700 million dollars. As a freshman undergrad, I would rather see that kind of money be put toward other things, such as enhancing other programs, or making it possible for more students to be admitted to difficult limited enrollment programs. It’s not fair for the current students to have to make a sacrifice for students down the road. It’s a major commitment and a major inconvenience for people who will never get anything out of it. The East Campus development, though maybe will be seen as productive in the future, will hurt the university now. Any student that is currently enrolled in the university will never the finished development during their undergraduate studies. Instead, each student will see the construction and the inconvenience that the east campus development will cause.
For the many students living in houses on fraternity row, construction will take place right behind it. How would you like to live in a house that had a crane in your backyard? It’s very unappealing and noisy. People look at the University of Maryland, College Park as a beautiful campus. Now, they will drive down Route one and see construction all along the east side. Traffic, which is already bad enough as it is, will only get worse at a university which pretty much has only one direct route in (route one).
Significant housing will be taken away while the development is in process. New Leonardtown along with the apartments behind it will be knocked down, adding to an already difficult housing crisis. Students are going to be forced to move farther and farther off campus into areas that aren’t as safe as the areas near the university where emergency telephone lines and police are seen often. Dormitory space on campus is very tight as it is, and the scramble to acquire housing in places such as Knox boxes or college park towers is going to be rough.
Many people already see parking as a problem. Well, with the construction of the new east campus, it’s going to get worse. All those lots for workers on the east side of route one and any lot behind frat row will be removed per the construction. Where are these students going to be displaced to, Comcast? This is going to create another huge inconvenience for students who already scramble hard to obtain parking spots somewhat near where they live. Also, by forcing more students to park on campus, this probably will cause more traffic on the slow moving roads that go through the university.
By knocking down this housing, the university possibly will admit fewer students during these years into the college. Is it really fair to the high school students who want to attend this university that they no longer can come here due to some off campus construction? The school will lose a lot of money in this aspect, and the atmosphere of the university will suffer as well.
This project is going to cost between 500 and 700 million dollars. As a freshman undergrad, I would rather see that kind of money be put toward other things, such as enhancing other programs, or making it possible for more students to be admitted to difficult limited enrollment programs. It’s not fair for the current students to have to make a sacrifice for students down the road. It’s a major commitment and a major inconvenience for people who will never get anything out of it.

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]]> By: Rethink College Park fan http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/comment-page-1/#comment-87282 Rethink College Park fan Sun, 02 Mar 2008 01:53:52 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/#comment-87282 I just want to say, thank you for covering the developments of this important project. Keep it up! I just want to say, thank you for covering the developments of this important project. Keep it up!

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]]> By: Kevin Fallon http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/comment-page-1/#comment-87161 Kevin Fallon Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:43:35 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/#comment-87161 I attended the meeting that was held at the end of January (I could not believe how jam packed the room was - it is very clear this project is very important to a lot of people) and the question of capital constraints due to our nation's current credit crunch came up. Since I was sitting in "the peanut gallery" I could not speak but wanted to contribute the following: there are plenty of investors out there who are always looking for a good investment. Given our housing crunch, given the stable nature of the university (it is not going to shut down or be bought out and relocated to Charlotte NC), and given the stature of the university and how this project is badly needed in relation to the campus' long term goals and strategy - East Campus represents a sound investment. I believe the entire corridor from The Beltway south to Queens Chapel is a sound investment. I dont think we should stop at East Campus. Downtown and the Knox Boxes also offer a very attractive investor value proposition. If they can make Hyattsville redevelopment viable then there is absolutely NO reason we cant make it happen. I for one believe investing at a high level to create something really unique would go a long way and the ROI would be compelling. I just wish East Campus was "bundeled" with a broader Route One Corridor Revitalization / bigger picture and then pitched to investors on the street (Wall Street). We have the capabilities and relationships to do this. I hope we dont miss the opportunity and wow, I hope we dont "half - *ss it" (Id rather wait a while longer if we need to for conditions to improve) I attended the meeting that was held at the end of January (I could not believe how jam packed the room was – it is very clear this project is very important to a lot of people) and the question of capital constraints due to our nation’s current credit crunch came up.

Since I was sitting in “the peanut gallery” I could not speak but wanted to contribute the following: there are plenty of investors out there who are always looking for a good investment. Given our housing crunch, given the stable nature of the university (it is not going to shut down or be bought out and relocated to Charlotte NC), and given the stature of the university and how this project is badly needed in relation to the campus’ long term goals and strategy – East Campus represents a sound investment. I believe the entire corridor from The Beltway south to Queens Chapel is a sound investment. I dont think we should stop at East Campus. Downtown and the Knox Boxes also offer a very attractive investor value proposition. If they can make Hyattsville redevelopment viable then there is absolutely NO reason we cant make it happen.

I for one believe investing at a high level to create something really unique would go a long way and the ROI would be compelling. I just wish East Campus was “bundeled” with a broader Route One Corridor Revitalization / bigger picture and then pitched to investors on the street (Wall Street). We have the capabilities and relationships to do this. I hope we dont miss the opportunity and wow, I hope we dont “half – *ss it” (Id rather wait a while longer if we need to for conditions to improve)

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]]> By: David Daddio http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/comment-page-1/#comment-87043 David Daddio Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:51:16 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/#comment-87043 Yes, but the developer also works for the people with capital who have to invest in this project.... Yes, but the developer also works for the people with capital who have to invest in this project….

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]]> By: Shawn http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/comment-page-1/#comment-87018 Shawn Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:43:15 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/558/#comment-87018 accommodate* accommodate*

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