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Washington, DC suburbs in Maryland Calvert County, Charles County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County
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Old 10-18-2022, 10:16 AM
 
Location: It's in the name!
7,070 posts, read 9,496,715 times
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Had Jury Duty last month. we had a 2-hr lunch. Walked outside to Main St. in Upper Marlboro. What happened?

A lot of missed opportunity. You have a county courthouse and ironically, the Prince George's Planning Department HQ.

Main St. looks as if there are no offices nearby whatsoever. There's no cuteness to Main St. Been to Ellicott city. If Main St. in Upper Marlboro had just half of what Ellicot City had it would be worth visiting while on business. But my goodness.

There's a Ledo's there. I decided to go to the Marlboro Grill across the street. Mistake. Everything was frozen. You'd think with Upper Marlboro being so close to the Chesapeake, closer than DC, you'd be able to get fresh fish.

It's real sad. With no news of the courthouse or the planning department moving anytime soon, there is still time for Main St. to take some opportunities to be more inviting.
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Old 10-18-2022, 11:09 AM
 
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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Its so small there, and just not really a destination tbh. People literally only go there if they have to go to court. I've been to Ellicott City, Downtown Annapolis, and Old Town Alexandria each more times then I've actually gone to visit Main St Upper Marlboro outside of going for jury duty.
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Old 10-18-2022, 11:15 AM
 
Location: It's in the name!
7,070 posts, read 9,496,715 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by the resident09 View Post
Its so small there, and just not really a destination tbh. People literally only go there if they have to go to court. I've been to Ellicott City, Downtown Annapolis, and Old Town Alexandria each more times then I've actually gone to visit Main St Upper Marlboro outside of going for jury duty.
True. But at least can it be like, "Oh, this is a nice little main street." When going to the courthouse? lol. I mean it doesn't have to be anything fancy. It looks like the county just doesn't care about the little street where so many of its offices are. The street isn't that long. It wouldn't take much to dress it up a little bit. Get a nice little Deli or Diner or two that keeps hours along with the offices.

Not really looking to go out to Upper Marlboro for a Sunday stroll. But it has the bones to be a little more pleasant.
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Old 10-18-2022, 01:01 PM
 
Location: MD
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I agree. It has the bones to be a lot better. However, the County has been slowly moving the county seat to Largo. The planning board just approved a nice looking building that they are moving to in Largo. So unfortunately, the only thing that will be left is the courthouses. At some point i can see the courthouse moving as well. Maybe that will give the town a chance to start over though....
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Old 10-18-2022, 02:24 PM
 
Location: It's in the name!
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Originally Posted by IVmyman View Post
I agree. It has the bones to be a lot better. However, the County has been slowly moving the county seat to Largo. The planning board just approved a nice looking building that they are moving to in Largo. So unfortunately, the only thing that will be left is the courthouses. At some point i can see the courthouse moving as well. Maybe that will give the town a chance to start over though....
All it takes is perhaps a 3 story hotel and a mixed-use multifamily development. That's all you really need to jumpstart main street. It's not that long. Maybe half a mile? Perhaps a small corner grocer or bodega.
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Old 10-18-2022, 05:12 PM
 
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Why would they move the courthouse? That courthouse is beautiful, and huge!! It needs to stay in Upper Marlboro.
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Old 10-18-2022, 08:00 PM
 
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Looking at the area around the courthouse (on Street View...I don't live in PG County so there's not much reason for me to head that way) it reminds me somewhat of Prince Frederick (and to lesser extent, La Plata)...such wasted potential.

I guess the good thing about being in AA County is that the courthouse is right at DT Annapolis . Howard County (Ellicott City Old Town) and Frederick County (DT Frederick) ain't bad either. MoCo...gosh what an ugly courthouse but at least Rockville Town Center is close by...
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Old 10-18-2022, 09:04 PM
 
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The East end of Main Street (toward route 301) is junky looking. Gas stations, 2 car dealers, an auto body shop, McDonalds, Home Depot. Does the towns equestrian center / showcase arena still host various trade shows and school graduations that would attract visitors? Guess the annual county fair is still there.

The last poster just mentioned LaPlata^s main street, which has a Hospital, farmers market, community theater, and schools nearby. Upper Marlboro has none of these (except St. Marys school).

Last edited by slowlane3; 10-18-2022 at 09:20 PM..
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Old 10-19-2022, 06:17 AM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
All it takes is perhaps a 3 story hotel and a mixed-use multifamily development. That's all you really need to jumpstart main street. It's not that long. Maybe half a mile? Perhaps a small corner grocer or bodega.
And the market for that would be who? What would be the draw for either, especially a hotel? Unless you figure family members of those awaiting trial would stay there instead of going back to where they live in the elsewhere in the County. Same with a mixed use development, what's the market?

What all of you are missing is that Upper Marlboro is an incorporated town and any "jump start" for redevelopment has to come from Town government, not the County. It might play a peripheral role if the Town decides to do anything, but that would be mostly limited to supporting any grant requests.

https://www.uppermarlboromd.gov/our_community/index.php

I've known most of the Town Commissioners over the last almost forty years and while they've been diverse in their beliefs there's never been much push to "do" something about Main Street nor do they do much to encourage economic development. They went through a period when they wouldn't even take free state money (Bond Bills) because they didn't want to have any strings attached.

Part of that is because the County offices there, to include the school system, suck a lot of oxygen out of the room and partly because most residents don't really want to see it.

Yes, a bodega might be nice but most of the storefronts are occupied. The old businesses of thirty years ago (restaurants and clothing stores) are gone and have been replaced by lawyers and bail bondsmen, which reflects the general business of the Town.
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Old 10-19-2022, 09:47 AM
 
Location: It's in the name!
7,070 posts, read 9,496,715 times
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Originally Posted by North Beach Person View Post
And the market for that would be who? What would be the draw for either, especially a hotel? Unless you figure family members of those awaiting trial would stay there instead of going back to where they live in the elsewhere in the County. Same with a mixed use development, what's the market?

What all of you are missing is that Upper Marlboro is an incorporated town and any "jump start" for redevelopment has to come from Town government, not the County. It might play a peripheral role if the Town decides to do anything, but that would be mostly limited to supporting any grant requests.

https://www.uppermarlboromd.gov/our_community/index.php

I've known most of the Town Commissioners over the last almost forty years and while they've been diverse in their beliefs there's never been much push to "do" something about Main Street nor do they do much to encourage economic development. They went through a period when they wouldn't even take free state money (Bond Bills) because they didn't want to have any strings attached.

Part of that is because the County offices there, to include the school system, suck a lot of oxygen out of the room and partly because most residents don't really want to see it.

Yes, a bodega might be nice but most of the storefronts are occupied. The old businesses of thirty years ago (restaurants and clothing stores) are gone and have been replaced by lawyers and bail bondsmen, which reflects the general business of the Town.
There is a new retail structure being built on the corner of Water St. and Main St.

I guess that's a start.
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