Grow College Station has moved on from restaurants. The second round of the city's Shape College Station survey asks residents a single question: which store or shopping brand would they most like to see open in town?
Residents have until Nov. 30 to answer at GrowCollegeStation.com, and the city says it takes under a minute. The online form offers a drop-down list of about 60 retailers, ranging from grocers such as Trader Joe's, Wegmans, H Mart and Whole Foods Market to IKEA, an Apple store, Micro Center, the LEGO Store, The Container Store, Pottery Barn and Dick's House of Sport.
Residents who do not see their choice can pick "Not Listed" and type in a name.
How the answers will be used
The city's economic development team said it will use the responses as evidence of local demand in its talks with retail chains, developers and site-selection consultants. The city also said it does not decide which businesses open; retailers make that call based on their own market research.
"Every time a resident drives to Houston or Austin to shop, that's convenience and revenue leaving College Station," Michael Ostrowski, the city's chief development officer, said in the announcement, adding that "retailers are paying attention to College Station right now."
The city tied the effort to keeping shopping dollars local, which supports the sales tax revenue that pays for city services. As examples of recent retail growth, the city pointed to Sprouts, a new Aerie, a Tecovas store due to open shortly at Century Square, and the newly announced Bass Pro Shops.
