As Georgia Gwinnett College grows along the northern edge of Lawrenceville, college officials and town fathers hope the campus will quickly transform Gwinnett's county seat into a cultural center and economic hub.

But to become the sort of quintessential college environment — one that fosters art and culture as well as economic and academic development — a few things are going to have to happen. It takes a critical mass of students, the right social environment, and more to turn a city into a college town, said Bob Karrow, editor of collegetownlife.com.

Kimberly Smith/AJC (ENLARGE)

Students walk along the Georgia Gwinnett College campus in Lawrenceville. GGC has a lot of growing and learning to do if it wants to have impact and influence.

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"They've got their work cut out for them," he said. "The university has to have an impact on the community to be a college town. It has to have influence."

SPORTS

What GGC has: A mascot, the Grizzlies, was chosen recently. Other than that, the sports cupboard is pretty bare. The college bought a fitness club on the southern edge of its campus and is turning it into a university gym. Long-term plan calls for multi-purpose fields for baseball, soccer and other sports near its eastern dormitories.

What GGC needs: Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin is like Wrigley Field for the 220,000 Madison residents who live near the home of the Wisconsin Badgers, said Justin Doherty, assistant athletic director for communications. For six or seven Saturdays a year home games become the focal point for the community. "Every restaurant, every bar, every convenience store sees an impact when there's a home game here," Doherty said. "Not to mention the visibility. Most of our games are on national television."

CAMPUS COMMONS

What GGC has: Not much. A new administrative building in the center of campus serves triple duty right now as student center, library and dean's office. Georgia Gwinnett College plans to build a multimillion-dollar student center and library next year.

What GGC needs: Something like the University of Massachusetts' cavernous UMass Campus Center and student union, which serves as the focal point for student life, political activism and a gathering place for the Amherst community. Roughly 12,000 of UMass's 26,000 students live on campus, and most pass through the center's concrete halls daily.

ANIMAL HOUSE

What GGC has: While there's no formal plan for Georgia Gwinnett College to incorporate fraternities and sororities on campus, there's plenty of housing near the school which might be used for Greek organizations.

What GGC needs: About one student in five at Clemson University is a member of a fraternity or sorority, according to the school's office of student affairs. Greek life at Clemson is more than a way for students to connect with one another, said Whitney Romanowski, director of student activities. "I think what they provide is large amounts of community service," she said, "It's a clearing house of how to get involved."

BICYCLES

What GGC has: Lawrenceville wants to make itself transportation friendly for college students. "We don't want congested streets," said planning director Brad Leonard. "College kids don't have a lot of money to throw around, so it has to be pedestrian friendly." The city wants to study how it can widen Northdale and Collins Hill Road, incorporating bike lanes into the design.

What GGC needs: The University of California, Davis, with 30,000 students, boasts more bicycles per capita than any other community in the United States and more than 50 miles of bike paths. The campus has more spaces to park a bike than it does to park a car. "Davis has a real bike culture," says David Takemoto-Weerts, university bicycle program coordinator. "You don't have to dress in Lycra and Spandex here to look like you belong on a bike."

BEER/PIZZA/PARTIES

What GGC has: Lawrenceville began redeveloping its downtown, more than two miles from campus, to attract restaurants and coffee shops a few years ago. City leaders are also thinking about rezoning an area near the city's old rail station as an entertainment district, said Brad Leonard, city planning director.

What GGC needs: Athens, home of the University of Georgia, has 62 restaurants, 59 bars, and nine entertainment venues downtown, says the Athens Downtown Development Authority.

"A lot of people come to school here for the club scene and the music scene, says Amy Gardner, assistant general manager for Farm 255, a restaurant that offers live music. "I think that Athens is a really special and different place because of the university, and there are people here looking for what we offer."