Sorry Andrew and James but this CVS thing is totally reasonable. I hear you, there could be a better use of the space. Give me a used book store, a cool record shop, a venue to keep good local artists out of the Galaxy Hut and in the actual district.Should GW have asked for student input? Yes, absolutely. This thing was mismanaged from the beginning and the result is a store that none of us want or, really, even need. Here is what you're overlooking though. It's going to be profitable. And maybe that is enough.
GW is always be looking for money, not necessarily due to greed but because this little quasi-state is an expensive place to run an institution. Could they have taken a shot with this place and given us a nice little cafe? Yeah they could have and I would have been psyched. But profits from a swanky cafe don't exactly pay for new buildings. They had a chance to create an actual "college hangout" (think Chubby's from Boy Meets World) and instead went with a business, but they didn't do it because they hate fun. This university is and always has been profit driven. When you need money could there be a better source than a proven profit center like CVS?
I'm at the point where I could not care less about the ambiance of the area, I am much more focused on where the school is going. Really, if you're looking for something fun to do hit the Red or Green Line. Stop anywhere and you can find a cool bar, venue, or falafel shop. Foggy Bottom isn't cool and never will be. Throwing in one bar that is going to get overrun with mixers will not change that. So you'll never use the CVS, me either, it will still have a hand in funding the University. The money collected from CVS may end up being more useful to the students than anything else that could have been put in that space. It's just going to be a lot less fun.
Still looking for a way to subvert the education-profit complex (or just love deals?) scope I heart CVS for their index of coupons (special thanks to the new anti-CVS facebook group.) Paying only $4.99 for Centrum? That will show 'em.
3 comments:
I totally get what your saying, and I definitely agree that GW should put something profitable there (given Tonic and Wow's liquor licenses, and the other great bars in Foggy Bottom and DC, the last thing I think they need there is a failure of a place that no one will go to).
I also get that there are two other CVSs within blocks of the proposed one (check out my post - specifically, the two maps I included). I'm all for profitability, but I don't see how another CVS would draw in any more money. If they want to put a pharmacy in so badly, maybe a Rite Aid or Walgreens - it'll alleviate CVS fatigue AND will likely bring in a lot of money.
Disclaimer: I am not positive about what I am about to say but I think it's logical.
Those other two CVSes are not on land owned by GW. They exist independently of our University and GW is only getting revenue through GWorld fees. This CVS would be different in that GW would get money for the land (and maybe a portion of sales... I have no idea... I'm a journalism major) I think the actual concern here is CVS fatigue (I like that phrase) in that the CVSes will be cannibalizing one another and that could be a profit concern. However the argument against CVS is essentially a convenience/pragmatic one; the number of CVSes in the immediate area shouldn't effect GW as this isn't a case of brining in MORE money... it's just an issue of brining in money in general.
Also, that is a huge space and I'm not totally sure what else could go in there.
2000 Penn is a mall that the University owns and leases space. The main concern is finding the business that will pay the highest rent and pay it realiably. GW does not get a portion of sales they get a monthly rent check.
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