In The Works: 3 New Developments Coming To Prince George's County

1. WMATA College Park Station Development Project 

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority signed an agreement with Gilbane Development Co. to build a mixed-use residential and retail project at College Park station. 

The transit-oriented development will feature 440 multifamily units, 12K SF of retail and a public plaza. It is part of College Park’s Discovery District, a $2B public-private partnership between Corporate Office Properties Trust, St. John Properties and the University of Maryland. The goal of the project is to further develop the area between the College Park Metro station and the University of Maryland, making it more accessible to students and residents. 

WMATA put the site next to the College Park station out for bid four times since the mid-1990s, but didn’t have any luck finding a developer to build on the space. WMATA finally awarded the site to Gilbane in July 2016. 

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Metro, Prince George’s County, City of College Park and the University of Maryland to further enhance growth in the Greater College Park Community," Gilbane Development President Ed Broderick said in a statement. “We are eager to deliver an exciting project that will provide future residents with unique and desirable amenities steps away from the College Park Metro Station.”

In addition to servicing the Green Line, College Park Metro station offers transfers to the MARC commuter rail, Metro and local bus and University of Maryland shuttles. It will eventually serve as a major hub for connection to the Purple Line, connecting Maryland's suburbs from Montgomery County to Prince George’s County. 

2. Town Square, Suitland Federal Center

For decades, the land around Suitland Metro station has remained mostly vacant. Aside from the U.S. Census Bureau’s main campus, the National Oceanic and ­Atmospheric Administration and the Office of Naval Intelligence, the area around the Green Line Metro station has seen little development.

Despite offering tax incentives and public financing, Prince George’s County officials have failed to attract developers and businesses to the area. Now, the county is giving it another try. 

Town Square at Suitland Federal Center, a 1M SF mixed-use development located at 4730 Homer Ave., might be the first step in transforming the area. 

Town Square will be jointly developed by Prince George’s County and Horizon Real Estate Group. It will feature 900 houses and apartments, 100K SF of retail space and a 500K SF performing arts center. The project, which will be completed in three phases, is expected to create over 1,200 construction jobs. 

“This new Town Square at Suitland Federal Center will be the spark that will ignite the Suitland community that residents have been longing for,” Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker told local radio station WTOP. “I have been telling folks to ‘buy Suitland’ for the last few years, and this project will be the foundation of what we hope will be the rebirth of Suitland.”

In addition to serving as an economic driver for the neighborhood, Town Square at Suitland Federal Center is a designated EcoDistrict. This certifies the community as a model of urban regeneration that focuses on sustainability and strives to excel in several areas, including equitable development, well-being, energy-efficiency and accessibility. 

3. Wood Partners Revitalizing College Park Apartment 

In April of 2017, Wood Partners' 275-unit College Park project caught on fire, causing $39M in damages, the most in the county fire department’s history. This past March, almost a year after the fire, Wood Partners announced it will rebrand and rebuild the project. 

The 275-unit multifamily project located at 4700 Berwyn House Road, near the University of Maryland campus, has been renamed Alloy by Alta. The Class-A apartment building will feature several amenities, including a pool deck, a clubroom, a conference room and a coworking-style library with a coffee bar. 

“This project was designed to redefine the meaning of living in College Park and give residents the option of luxury-style living,” Wood Partners Director Scott Zimmerly said in a press release. “We created an environment that fosters interaction amongst students and young professionals.” 

The first units are slated to deliver in the winter of 2019.