Its proximity to campus and several new student housing options made the Campus Village Shoppes shopping center in College Park, Maryland, one of the busiest and easiest places for students to go for food and alcohol.
But now, a new owner is getting ready to turn the shopping center and its vast parking lot into the newest mixed-use development to dot Route 1.
It’s a transformation that has already come for several of the shopping centers up and down the stretch of Route 1 that borders or stands near the University of Maryland. However, some of the businesses that operate here said they haven’t been dealt with fairly or honestly by the company that bought the shopping center last year.
“It has been fairly disingenuous,” said Dr. Terese Thomas, who owns a medical spa in the shopping center. She said, between the time they were told the shopping center was bought last year to Aug. 1, there was almost no communication. Then tenants in the shopping center were told they needed to close up by the end of September.
Thomas, as well as Amaka Nonyerem, said they were initially told that they would be able to stay open until late 2024.
“I really feel bad for those people they were not honest with,” said Thomas.
A spokeswoman for LV Collective said that the company has made clear all along that it intended to redevelop the shopping center and aimed to begin work this fall, and doesn’t understand where the timeline the store owners have mentioned came from.
“We are not accepting that,” said Nonyerem. “We just signed a five-year lease. We still have three years on our lease so how can we leave?”
She said her family has invested thousands of dollars into Jodeem African Cuisine, a small restaurant in the shopping center. Nonyerem said the company isn’t offering enough to even find a storage space to move its kitchen stuff.
“Everybody here is confused,” she said. “Especially we here that are new.”
LV Collective said in its statement that when the property is redeveloped, it will include housing to accommodate over 1,000 residents and 13,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. There’s also community space planned for those who live in the Lakeland Community.
“We have been in continuous discussions throughout the year with updates as we have made progress on the project. Nearly all tenants have agreed to compensation and LV is actively negotiating with the remaining few,” according to the statement. “We are currently in conversations with tenants to determine which businesses will return to the new development. We look forward to continuing to support these businesses and the College Park community.”
Thomas said she picked up bad vibes from LV Collective last year and began planning a move up Route 1 even before this.
“I really feel bad for those people they were not honest with,” said Thomas. “It didn’t really shock us.”
When the redevelopment begins, the two liquor stores closest to campus will also close.
LV Collective bought out Town Hall, a property that was adjacent to the shopping center also. Sue Hui, who owns College Park Liquors across the parking lot from there, will also have to close after she was told her soon to be expiring lease will not be renewed. She was told no liquor stores will be allowed to operate there.
“We’re trying to find a place, hopefully,” said Hui. “But it’s very tough now because everything is expensive.”
She’s started a GoFundMe with the hope that longtime customers will help keep her business going.
“If they can support us that would be helpful so we can move on to our next journey,” said Hui.
