Friday, August 10, 2012
The city is promoting a locally-owned business week and offering special grants—but some say it isn't enough.
College Park’s Bagel Place is a favorite among students and local residents alike—it’s a rare Sunday morning when the breakfast eatery doesn’t have a line to the door. Located on Baltimore Avenue near the University of Maryland, Bagel Place has been around for about 30 years. But owner Bobby Karanovich, who has run the restaurant for the past 14 years, says long-standing, locally-owned businesses like his are diminishing every year. “It is dwindling,” he said, referring to the number of local businesses in the area. “We still have a few, and we all work together to make things work as best as we can.” According to Michael Stiefzater, College Park’s economic development coordinator, the city currently has 45 local, independently-owned …
Thursday, June 7, 2012
With university students mostly gone, some College Park business owners adjust operations, bracing for a summer dip.
As the weather warms and students leave for home, some businesses in College Park are adjusting operations to mitigate a dip in business during the summer months. “It slows way down,” Bagel Place owner Bobby Karanovich told The Gazette. He, and other business owners use various approaches to lessen the impact of a semi-depleted campus. The city is also using new tactics, like free Saturday parking at the Yale Avenue garage and a downtown farmers' market, The Gazette reported. Read the full Gazette story here. Economic Development Coordinator Michael Stiefvater told Patch last month that the city would like to try other strategies, like temporary art projects in some of the vacant storefronts, and monthly downtown events during …
Monday, May 21, 2012
Bike commuters stopped by City Hall on Friday for bagels, coffee, a tune-up and a T-shirt.
Not a car was parked on the west edge of the City Hall lot on Friday morning. Instead, the area bustled with cyclists, enjoying breakfast from Bagel Place and MOM's Organic Market, and tune-up services provided by REI in College Park. It was College Park's pit stop for national Bike to Work Day. Senior Planner Elisa Vitale said that 124 cyclists had registered ahead of time to visit City Hall along their bike commute to work. College Park was one of 58 pits stops in the region planned for national Bike to Work Day, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. The pit stop was a joint project between the city and the University of Maryland. Do you have photos from the College Park Bike to Work Day pit stop? Add them to the gallery!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Kevin Bailey, 41, of Washington, D.C., already had an open warrant for fraud. He was charged with theft of less than $1,000 in Monday's incident.
Police arrested a Washington, D.C. man on Monday who they say stole a woman's purse outside of Bagel Place, located at 7423 Baltimore Ave., according to a press statement from the University of Maryland Police. According to the statement: Police arrested Kevin Bailey, 41, of Washington, D.C. and charged him with theft under $1,000. Bailey, a non-student, had an open warrant for fraud through Prince George's County. After a witness reported the incident to police at 3:28 p.m., the Security Operations Center (SOC), which monitors security cameras, spotted Bailey as he fled toward the College Park Metro station on Calvert Road. Police said Bailey had the purse in his possession upon arrest. The Prince George’s County Police Department is …
Thursday, December 8, 2011
With the County Planning Board voting on a design plan Thursday, local organizations say their concerns have not disappeared.
Two months ago, more than a dozen residents formed a line before the College Park City Council to voice concerns over a proposed six-story student housing and retail complex developers hope to build where the Maryland Book Exchange sits. Now, with the Prince George’s County Planning Board scheduled to vote on the project Thursday, local organizations are still concerned that it’s too big, and it doesn’t fit in with the historic area. Project developer, Ilya Zusin, is unsure why his project has caused so much local concern. "This fits into every strategic goal of everyone involved," he said, adding that the development would provide housing for students adjacent to the university, alleviating traffic, and would be good for the economic …
Ken Montville
11:18 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
It's a damn shame. Locally owned businesses add character and a different level of customer service to the area. Of course, you don't have to go that far down Route 1 (old Hyattsville) to see what the changes bring. Money is a big consideration, though. The chains can afford the costs. I can't count the number of locally owned places that have gone by the wayside in College Park. Sad. But, if you… more ›