Stiefvater: Making College Park a Top College Town

Patch sat down with the city’s new Economic Development Coordinator Michael Stiefvater to talk about the new student high rises, and whether or not College Park can be a top 20 college town.

This is the second in a two-part series.

College Park Patch: College Park has a unique blend of older and younger residents. How do you balance the development needs of the different demographics?

Michael Stiefvater: Clearly I have to respect both. There are plenty of other college towns that can lead as an example, where the city works and both needs are met. I don’t know exactly what needs to be done to find that balance yet or how to find it, but you have to listen to both sides and take their concerns and inspirations.

Patch: What are some of the challenges you anticipate?

Stiefvater: Some challenges are going to be the fact that there haven’t been a lot of major tenants. I know that has just moved in, which there are only a few locations across the country, so I think that may be a sign that national players have some interest in the city. I also know that a lot of residents want local businesses, so I think a challenge will be how to foster an environment so small independently owned businesses will locate here.

Patch: What is College Park’s main selling point that you try to get across to potential retailers?

Stiefvater: The clear attraction is the University of Maryland. There is a large group of people that work there and obviously a large number of students so nine months out of the year businesses have a great customer base. I think a hard part is during the summer, since so many students leave, so it is important to attract businesses that can cater to students but also work for the residents. It is a nice community, there are a lot of amenities, and it is close to two metro stations, so there is easy access to downtown. With the potential development of down the road it looks like the city is moving in the right direction. So if you move here you have an opportunity to be a part of a community that is growing in a positive direction.

Patch: The ground floors of the have retailers, eventually even restaurants. In your experience, have you seen retailers inside student housing complexes successfully attract patrons who are not students?

Stiefvater: The economic success of the high rises comes down to the type of retail that is available in these developments, rather than the fact it is included in student housing. If the retail meets the needs of residents and other visitors to the city, I believe they will frequent the establishment regardless of its location. From my personal experience at the University of California, Irvine, there was a shopping center surrounded by student housing that featured a variety of restaurants along with a grocery store and movie theatre. Certainly it was a draw to students, but residents in the local community also patronized the businesses as they met their needs as well.

Patch: What is your role in helping college town? Do you think this goal is feasible?

Stiefvater: The key will be to foster a good line of communication between the city and the university and to meet in the middle to find a common goal.

When people think of great college towns, the university becomes synonymous with the city itself. They work together to create a vibrant community that features cultural, social and educational opportunities. From a strictly economic standpoint, this means providing a mix of businesses that create an identity for the town and serve a wide range of residents. I certainly believe and with the economy slowing turning around, the present time is a great opportunity for the university and community to work together to reach this goal.

This is the second of a two-part series.