They buy materials in bulk at substantial discounts and are buying big ticket items like hvac systems wholesale, not at big box retail stores.

I was told it was an electrical appliance retail at one point associated with Western Auto (founded by George Pepperdine of Pepperdine University fame https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Auto). 

For it to be a retail deal it would meet the 1% rule which means the rents are 1100 per unit.

Is anyone investing near there and do you think the additional housing and retail on campus will spill over to the surrounding areas?

Hard to compete with rent concessions, brand new units, pools, playgrounds, social aspects, restaurants, retail, etc.

LinkThe Department of Education said Thursday that it would wipe away student debt for 15,000 borrowers, [...] 

Can you sell a house with a bunch of dark wood paneling for retail price, if everything else is up to date?

You need to look at maps prepared by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI).  

So I saw a lot of nice looking fridges for ~$1700-1800 that (it says here) retail for over $3k.

But you can also either have an MD LLC or register your foreign (non-MD) LLC in MD with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation ("SDAT").