I'll state this for the record: I hate walking all
the way to the Food Coop to buy the groceries that I can't get at Topside. A perennial topic that surfaces is whether the town of Hanover should allow chain stores to detract from its unique New England small-town identity. While I would hate to see McDonald's golden arches rise above Main Street, there is room for a judicious compromise -- and this is dependent on the stance that the college chooses to adopt.
While I applaud Ms. Griffin, the town manager, for adopting an open mind towards any proposals that chain stores might submit, I am of the opinion that the College should play a more active role in soliciting particular businesses to come to Hanover that would raise the quality of life for Dartmouth students. The Gap is a good example -- although the selection may not be as wide as, say, the Gap on Newbury Street, it still is a welcome change for students who want to pick up a relatively inexpensive set of clothes for their own personal use. A J. Crew store next to the Gap would not only afford college students and the community alike with more immediate options in terms of where they shop, but also lower prices by maintaining the sense of competition for business. Although I think that a grocery store more along the lines of P&C would serve the community more as opposed to CVS, I welcome their impending arrival. It is clear that the arrival of new businesses has the potential to boost both the life of college students at Dartmouth, as well as serve the needs of faculty and the community alike.
When done judiciously, such arrangements have the potential to dramatically boost the quality of life for Hanover residents. An oft-mentioned complaint of querulous students is that "Hanover is dead after 11 p.m."--which, incidentally, is when the Dirt Cowboy shuts down. To cite an example, Yale has an arrangement with its businesses that rent the buildings that they own in which the hours of operation are specifically built into their leases--this ensures that the buildings are kept open at late hours for their students. Why doesn't Dartmouth employ a similar tactic? Granted, the College doesn't own Main Street, but it would do well to keep such ideas in mind as it develops the area around the College. This idea does not have to be confined solely to Main Street itself; how about setting up a different hub to the north of the campus where the college intends to eventually build a new dormitory to house students? Perhaps a broad-ranging survey of successful college towns that would unearth some valuable insights that would allow the college to balance the need to generate revenue through the rents it collects as well as serving the needs of the current student population, while balancing the need to alleviate the gridlock that Hanover experiences during rush hours.
Of course, Hanover is not all about Dartmouth, and Dartmouth is not all about Hanover. The College, when embarking on such developmental projects, should involve both the student body and the community in discussions and focus groups to determine both what would work. For any commercial business to be viable it must generate a demand--that is to say, it must meet the needs of the particular clientele that it intends to target. Having a transparent discussion can identify the particular demand both across a time period (i.e. late weekday nights versus late hours on the weekend) as well as in what particular niche (more clothing stores, more bistros and so on). The shutting down of Mojo's and the downsizing of the Dartmouth Coop and the Dartmouth Bookstore serves to illustrate that the Hanover market is limited in size; to this end, it is up to the college to conduct adequate research into whether these businesses can fill a particular need and thrive.
Wouldn't having more than one Chinese restaurant in town, or breaking the duopoly of Indian food, be a step forward? How about more than one sports shop in town? Here's another one: more chain clothing stores that cater to the needs of college students, faculty and community alike both in terms of variety and price? Its all possible, if the College takes it upon itself to assume the lead.
