Bates College: There Grows the Neighborhood

For decades, Bates College (ME) has quietly scooped up scores of houses surrounding its historic campus.  It hasn’t been a secret — land ownership records are readily available public documents. But it hasn’t been obvious, either.  When all of the properties are mapped, a picture emerges: Bates has encircled itself with houses and apartment buildings that blend into surrounding neighborhoods while serving as homes rented out to the college’s own staff.  Bates doesn’t hide the goal behind its long-term buying strategy.