Schrader urges city to help with plans to attract Brenau med students

GAINESVILLE - Brenau University President Ed Schrader asked area business leaders Thursday afternoon to make Gainesville the type of city that will support students that will attend the university's new downtown medical campus.

Schrader told members of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors that the graduate students who will enroll in Brenau's medical programs will need quality housing, additional retail and greenspace to keep them in the area long-term.

"Our vision needs to be what's going to make Gainesville, you know, the type of community we have in the back of our minds, we'd love to see it be in 10 years," said Schrader.

He acknowledged that Gainesville and Brenau already have a working collaboration based on the recent lease-purchase agreement for the Georgia Mountains Center. The university will assume ownership of the facility for its new medical school campus. If approved by the Board of Trustees, a physical therapy program will be the start-up program for the new school.

However, Schrader said there has to be more to the collaboration than "building new sidewalks and setting up a school."

He noted that the demographic of the Brenau medical student will be much different than that of students who attend the Women's College or Professional College.

Schrader said those students will be age 25+ and many will be married with children. He anticipates the students and their families will add a total population of 2,000 to the Gainesville area.

As for where to start on plans for new housing and enhanced retail for downtown Gainesville, Schrader said he's ready to start meetings with all interested parties.

"When we're talking about urban planning, we really need to have sort of Phase II of that collaboration...bring in the city council, the city planners," said Schrader. Plus, he said he wants developers who have a vested interest in downtown Gainesville, or those who might have an interest in the area, to be part of the process, as well.

Schrader offered no timeline for those discussions to begin.