The Commerce Bank project (just across from Plato’s Dinner) was rejected unanimously by the City Council almost a year ago and not approved until it removed a drive thru window from its plans. Now, we are getting news that the bank pulled out and now the developer is walking away…

‘Starview Plaza’ (located just north of CP Car Wash), a project which has languished for years as a joint venture between the City-University Partnership, a private developer, and other public partners, has been reborn as a five-story student housing project with 540 beds and ground floor retail. According to the Diamondback, the developer is taking LEED Silver Certification seriously. The project joins a growing list of recently proposed student housing projects – the trend differs dramatically from what we saw just 6 months ago.

The College Park City Council has voted unanimously to oppose a proposed 1-story Commerce Bank. The proposed building would go at the site of the abandoned Showcase Furniture building on Route 1 between Calvert Road and Guilford Road. This quote is from the Gazette story:

College Park resident Leo Shapiro was one of many to speak out against the proposed bank. ‘‘This does nothing at all to move us toward our vision for College Park and it would be an enormous and shameful waste of an opportunity,” said Shapiro, adding that the single-story single-use structure would not be consistent with the Route 1 Sector Plan. ‘‘Here’s an opportunity not to waste this space on a bank.”

> Gazette: “City opposes using property for bank“