Members of the Student Government Association unanimously voted to support building a grocery store within walking distance of the campus.

In a unanimous vote last night, the Student Government Association pledged to advocate for the construction of a grocery store within walking distance of the campus.

SGA arts and humanities legislator Julie France, who sponsored the resolution, said having a local grocery store would help diminish the need for students living on the campus to have cars. As university officials plan to cut a number of parking spaces on the campus in the coming years, additional walking-distance retail will mitigate the university’s parking shortage, legislators said.

A grocery store close to the campus, France added, may also decrease traffic congestion in the city and make downtown more pedestrian-friendly.

“I know some students, myself included, who only brought a car to campus for things like groceries,” France said. “It’d be a good move to build a campus community and keep things local and have a grocery store people can walk to.”

France said she plans to meet with members of the College Park City Council in the coming days to discuss finding a space for a grocery store and furthering plans for other proposed developments.

Michael Stiefvater, the city’s economic development coordinator, said the plans for the East Campus development – a proposed 38-acre project of mixed retail and graduate housing – no longer include a grocery store. However, he noted the owners of the College Park Shopping Center have been in preliminary talks about possibly redeveloping the site and bringing in a grocery store. Stiefvater said Harris Teeter was the most likely candidate for that space.

“It’s not going to solve all the congestion,” Stiefvater said. “But it would be easier for residents. Instead of venturing to Silver Spring or wherever, it would be closer to drive or they could take a bike or walk, so it certainly will help.”

However, he said if the redevelopment moves forward, it would not likely break ground for several years, and he anticipates obtaining a liquor license for Harris Teeter could be a difficult process.

Several students who live on the campus said they often have to drive to Shoppers Food & Pharmacy near the Capital Beltway for groceries or simply settle for buying food at the Commons Shop or other convenience stores on the campus.

Junior biology and neurophysiology major Tiffany Jen said she often goes home to Rockville for groceries.

“It’d be really great if the prices were like Giant’s, because the reason I don’t go to the Commons Shop is because it’s so expensive,” said Jen, a resident of Commons 1. “I always walk to CVS anyway, so it’d be great if I could get groceries there, too.”

Senior American studies major Jose Centeno, a resident assistant in Commons 2, said it is a “big inconvenience” to search for a friend with a car to get his groceries. However, he said he hopes any new grocery store would cater to college students.

“It depends on the quality of the food,” Centeno said. “If students want to get groceries, they could always go to the Commons Shop, but of course it’s extremely expensive and not the best quality, and the selection isn’t that great.”

Others said they did not think students would flock to a high-end store such as Harris Teeter.

“College students always go for the cheapest stuff, so that wouldn’t be the best idea,” junior bioengineering major Neer Hershtig said.

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