College Park - News, Events, Updates, Questions and Developments Etc. (Riverdale Park: places to eat, location)

[RickyRoma]

Six new dorms being built? Are they finally razing the old communities like Hagerstown, elicot, Denton, etc? Long over due to put in more modern dorms with more amenities (like AC) and more density. Will probably take ten years. Plus I assume the off campus building boom will continue as investors buy up every plot of land within waking distance of campus. Will be interesting to see rt 1 in ten years without many remaining old rundown buildings.

[NJ2MDdude]

The dormitories slated for demotion in the future include Carroll, Caroline, Worcester and Wicomico. These halls were build in the 1950s and are located near the old Preinkert Field House, close to where old Lot 3 used to be. Also slated for demo is the Leonardtown apartment complex.

I'm not sure what the plans are for the high risers. I've heard they've been up for replacement for the last two decades. But the two most recent new dormitories and one new dining hall are in the vicinty. In the prior decade, UMCP opened two dormitories. So, that's four new residence halls in service, with several more in the works.

There's also the South Campus Commons, a public-private partnership built on UMCP property along Knox Road but owned by the private sector. And the apartment complex build on the former put-put golf course on University Boulevard. My niece lives there.

I'm surprised an independent living apartment complex hasn't gone up for UMCP alumni wanting to relive their past, taking in a few shows at the performing arts center and a few courses, of course.

[lookingbutnotlost]

Originally Posted by Catcprtc

College Park Car Wash is under contract to Gilbane for more student housing. The property is almost 1.5 acres on Baltimore Avenue. Gilbane just opened Tempo to the south and has Atworth under construction at CP metro station.

Well the car wash owner has said that the City has wanted that car wash gone for a long time. and would cite them all the time.

[MDurbanist]

From the October Advisory Planning Commission Notes

BP Gas Station – 9667 Baltimore Ave - located on Rt. 1 and Cherry Hill Road. The owner would like to redevelop the site to build a small 3-story multi-family housing project with up to 25 units. State Highway Administration will have comments about this proposal because they control the access to Rt. 1. Nothing has been filed yet.

*Timing makes sense since the new Wawas are much better than BP and Xtra. It would be great to have a nicer building here to serve as some sort of a gateway to CP once you exit the beltway, though brownfield remediation costs for former gas stations into housing are $$$ and I don't see how they'd recoup those costs at only 3 stories. Maybe it'd just be on part of the lot, but I don't think zoning would allow that.*

Hillel - 7505 Yale Avenue - The revised proposal is to construct a Jewish community center still at the end of Yale Avenue. It will be a land swap between the UMD and Hillel, which is now located on Mowatt Lane (potentially will become part of the now-paused Guilford Woods/Western Gateway development). A plan was approved and is now being revised. Stephanie Stullich stated that the owner came before the Local Advisory Committee of the Historic Preservation Commission and there was a positive response from the members. The local community felt it would be an improvement over the original design. The City Council previously supported this project, but it will have to come before them again.

*It's taking so long for Hillel to raise enough money for their new building (capital campaign website says they've only raised $13.5 million out of $20M and want the cash upfront). I've been hearing about this for well over a decade now. Without that extra $6.5M and "to better fit in with the neighborhood(?)", it looks not as physically impressive even though it's still almost 40Ksqf (it's apparently going to be the largest Hillel building in the country). I wasn't too impressed with the quasi-modernist design of the last renderings, but the new one with all the white brick and bauhaus/modern brutalist looks completely different and worse IMO, even though it matches City Hall/Sterling Place/other planned developments better. If I were them, I'd work with a developer to add a few levels of student/grad housing to the top to get the job done. You can see the new design below.*
New Design: https://www.verticalae.com/maryland-hillel
Old Design: https://www.washingtonjewishweek.com...building-2022/

[NJ2MDdude]

Re: Hillel - That's a lot of money the proposed new Hillel facility will require for a building no one will ever see. At least the Mowatt Lane site has better access to foot and vehicle traffic.

[Catcprtc]

It looks like another grocery store for the area. It is being reported that the Aldi will be moving into the space that Staples wil be leaving in January, on Greenbelt Road, across from Beltway Plaza.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by Catcprtc

It looks like another grocery store for the area. It is being reported that the Aldi will be moving into the space that Staples wil be leaving in January, on Greenbelt Road, across from Beltway Plaza.

That's too bad that Staples will be vacating early next year. Giant Food used to occupy that space before it moved to the other side of Greenbelt Road.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

That's too bad that Staples will be vacating early next year. Giant Food used to occupy that space before it moved to the other side of Greenbelt Road.

Thank Amazon for that. I admit, I feed the beast. I get all of my office supplies from Amazon.

[terp80]

Originally Posted by Catcprtc

It looks like another grocery store for the area. It is being reported that the Aldi will be moving into the space that Staples wil be leaving in January, on Greenbelt Road, across from Beltway Plaza.

When you say reported, is there any link or something you could share? Just hadn't seen anything about Aldi and would love to read about it if so. Thanks

[adelphi_sky]

New retailer popped up on the KNLB Retail broker brochure for the Aster/Trader Joes (Southern Gateway) project. Going after Sweetgreen customer share I guess.

Fresh Green Salads

https://klnb.propertycapsule.com/pro.../view/id:54443