Do the residents who continually rail against the University realize what an overall overwhelming benefit it is to have the school in the neighborhood? The neighborhood needs to become much more flexible and tolerant towards the institution that has defined the Georgetown area for over 200 years.

Works for me, if they'll actually convert the old hospital into dorms.

The economic benefit is far greater than "some money spent at local shops". If each of the approximately 10k students spent $300 a week in neighborhood businesses for 32 weeks of the year that is roughly $100million dollars into the local economy per year. My guess is the number is much higher. Without that money being spent there is no doubt less shops and restaurants in the neighborhood. Furthermore, in retail that can really spiral (areas normally have a robust or nominal retail presence).

I also checked townhouse prices in Georgetown versus Clarendon, on a very quick glance it looks like prices in Georgetown are about $50/square foot higher. If I combine that with what looks to be a rental rates of $1000/month more, assume a capitalization rate of 8times, it appears that all else being equal housing in Georgetown is more expensive in Georgetown than Clarendon because of the ability to buy the properties as rentals to students. In short another economic benefit is higher home values.
Outside of the economic benefits; most of the facilities (join Yates), cultural events (I attended a lecture at the business school last year), churches are available to the community. On a side note, we have used a number of babysitters from the university that have ALL been fantastic.

I am curious to hear your negatives. I hope it is more than loud students.

John, 

I must note your survey of rental costs is less than scientific. Although I do believe (despite lack of science), Georgetown is pricier, real estate & rental costs are impacted by a variety of factors and causation is difficult to prove. As a renter, I would also note that rents vary throughout Georgetown; anecdotally, they seem to be less expensive the closer you get to campus. Using your logic, we can attribute causation to the University.  

I personally feel a University can be an asset to any area, but think the financial and quality of life benefits/costs are complicated and should be discussed responsibly.

I would miss the hospital being in the neighborhood.

To "John Murray" and others, clearly any semi-serious analysis of the negatives or the positives of GU's presence in the Georgetown neighborhood by supporters or opposers is skewed and lacks any basic research of the data. And nobody has ever suggested for GU to go anywhere, which is simply nonsense.

But why not read what GU itself presented to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) when they wanted to build on campus, this is on the record:

Mr. Bolan, a real estate and economic consultant hired by GU, projected that 75-80% of approximately 180 student group homes in Burleith and Gergetown wil be converted from rental occupancy to owner occupancy and "On average this conversion from rental status to owner occupied status will be financially very advantageous to the District of Columbia." and that "Our belief is that a stronger and more pronounced single family homeowner occupied neighborhood is likely to increase property values, not decrease them, by the increased desirabily of the community that will result".

That is GU's own expert testifing under oath... It is reasonable to assume that, being an expert and working for GU, he did solid research and if he skewed anything it was in GU's favor. At this point only the ignorants of the fact can possibly argue that having 1,600 students causing the conversion of now more than 250 townhomes into group rental has any advantage for anyone other than GU.