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Speaking of inner PG, the City of District Heights is looking to develop "downtown" on Marlboro Pike in collaboration with St. Paul Church. This would include redeveloping Great Eastern Plaza.
Not many details out yet but there is this website .
Looks like they're making a half-hearted stab at Instant Urbanism but missing the mark.
Speaking of inner PG, the City of District Heights is looking to develop "downtown" on Marlboro Pike in collaboration with St. Paul Church. This would include redeveloping Great Eastern Plaza.
Not many details out yet but there is this website .
this is not so good.
Couple red flags:
-visually unappealing: gray, and massive parking lots despite the "half-stab" at urbanism, minimal landscaping too
- stores: Checkers, Pep Boys, an unknown athletic apparel brand, a Kool Smiles dentistry you normally see in the hood (but maybe black-owned though, so that's good), a church, a conference center (this seems kinda shaky). These are the "flagships"
- the rendering- a bunch of, actually solely white faces. This always makes me wary in any black neighborhood even if the firm in question is back-owned
-food: Johnnys carryout and plaza liquor store
Compared to what I've seen in Ward 7/8 this still lags I don't really see it as an improvement on the existing PG retail/business landscape besides its new. And im not clear does this exist now? or its coming online soon?
-visually unappealing: gray, and massive parking lots despite the "half-stab" at urbanism, minimal landscaping too
- stores: Checkers, Pep Boys, an unknown athletic apparel brand, a Kool Smiles dentistry you normally see in the hood (but maybe black-owned though, so that's good), a church, a conference center (this seems kinda shaky). These are the "flagships"
- the rendering- a bunch of, actually solely white faces. This always makes me wary in any black neighborhood even if the firm in question is back-owned
-food: Johnnys carryout and plaza liquor store
Compared to what I've seen in Ward 7/8 this still lags I don't really see it as an improvement on the existing PG retail/business landscape besides its new. And im not clear does this exist now? or its coming online soon?
There aren't many details available so I don't know the timeline. I expect there to be more details coming in the next few months. According to the commissioner who announced this stated that the developer is black. That town needs commercial tax revenue and to beautify that area so any commercial development will be a plus. I believe the city of District Heights will also look to annex more land since its surrounding by unincorporated land.
I don't think the race of renderings is super relevant as there's almost no chance that white ppl/families are moving to District Heights en masse.
There aren't many details available so I don't know the timeline. I expect there to be more details coming in the next few months. According to the commissioner who announced this stated that the developer is black. That town needs commercial tax revenue and to beautify that area so any commercial development will be a plus. I believe the city of District Heights will also look to annex more land since its surrounding by unincorporated land.
I don't think the race of renderings is super relevant as there's almost no chance that white ppl/families are moving to District Heights en masse.
Yeah, the website is pretty confusing.
Yeah, I went through the website they talk about 'we are expanding in 2018'. I saw some stores in the renderings that arent in the directory. I saw the owners are Ethiopian.
Sure we can throughout the rendering-not that important. But this seems like maybe it could use some work. I think PG relies far too heavily on a commercial tax base. The place is awash with retail but also awash with vacant storefronts. Other methods of improving your tax revenues are more difficult and controversial. believe Angela Alsobrooks ran in part on a platform of bringing in more desirable retail to Prince Georges. I remember that being in her ad on WPGC when I lived there.
Yeah, I went through the website they talk about 'we are expanding in 2018'. I saw some stores in the renderings that arent in the directory. I saw the owners are Ethiopian.
Sure we can throughout the rendering-not that important. But this seems like maybe it could use some work. I think PG relies far too heavily on a commercial tax base. The place is awash with retail but also awash with vacant storefronts. Other methods of improving your tax revenues are more difficult and controversial. believe Angela Alsobrooks ran in part on a platform of bringing in more desirable retail to Prince Georges. I remember that being in her ad on WPGC when I lived there.
To the bold, that's just not true. Prince George's commercial tax base and retail is very much lacking. That's why there's been a push to get retail and businesses into Prince George's.
What are some other ways small towns like District Heights and other inside the beltway communities, could bring in more tax revenue? I think bringing in more businesses/retail is the best way but I'm interested in other methods.
To the bold, that's just not true. Prince George's commercial tax base and retail is very much lacking. That's why there's been a push to get retail and businesses into Prince George's.
What are some other ways small towns like District Heights and other inside the beltway communities, could bring in more tax revenue? I think bringing in more businesses/retail is the best way but I'm interested in other methods.
I should have rephrased it. They're too enamored with it, they accept any business as good business (as you said) which hurts the overall quality of retail and the physical landscape of the county. I have no idea what % of their budget comes from commercial tax.
Brick and Mortar retail is overly abundant in the US in general but I find the land-use model for it in PG is pretty bad which is probably why that plaza was vacated in the first place, simply not needed. https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1...N0Qpx96BAgsEAg
^this stuff is abundant from Allentown up through Landover. How is another Checkers moving the needle for (inner) PG?
To your second part- the first and most obvious way would be to increase your property tax base- but that's controversial. But the way to increase your property values (natural property tax boost)do that is by improving schools- that's difficult, lowering crime- is also difficult. And more genuine transit oriented development (this is occurring via the Purple Line)
I should have rephrased it. They're too enamored with it, they accept any business as good business (as you said) which hurts the overall quality of retail and the physical landscape of the county. I have no idea what % of their budget comes from commercial tax.
Brick and Mortar retail is overly abundant in the US in general but I find the land-use model for it in PG is pretty bad which is probably why that plaza was vacated in the first place, simply not needed. https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1...N0Qpx96BAgsEAg
^this stuff is abundant from Allentown up through Landover. How is another Checkers moving the needle for (inner) PG?
To your second part- the first and most obvious way would be to increase your property tax base- but that's controversial. But the way to increase your property values (natural property tax boost)do that is by improving schools- that's difficult, lowering crime- is also difficult. And more genuine transit oriented development (this is occurring via the Purple Line)
I see. There's definitely been pushback as far as the type of retail that is coming (coughRoyalFarmscough).
As far as increasing property tax base, outside the beltway there is a crazy amount of homes being developed but not much inside the beltway particulaly in central and southern PG. South of Central Avenue there's just the three poorly located Metro stops on the Green Line but not much at all of transit to even have transit oriented development.
I see. There's definitely been pushback as far as the type of retail that is coming (coughRoyalFarmscough).
As far as increasing property tax base, outside the beltway there is a crazy amount of homes being developed but not much inside the beltway particulaly in central and southern PG. South of Central Avenue there's just the three poorly located Metro stops on the Green Line but not much at all of transit to even have transit oriented development.
I think we're in agreement. Outer PG works the way it is. It's no urbanist paradise but it's legitimately nice and functional and pretty desirable. I actually enjoy some of the more secluded areas and rural aspects. I love Fort Foote Park...
Inner PG needs to work on TOD, schools, safety first and foremost. But I guess its permissive attitude towards small businesses is what makes it a favorable place to be a black entrepreneur.
And damn lol RoFo is aggressive. I've never seen anything like it anywhere, honestly. THeyre expansion is so comically aggressive good for them I guess but I always laugh when I see yet another Royal Farms. They're tryna edge up to Philly too.
I think we're in agreement. Outer PG works the way it is. It's no urbanist paradise but it's legitimately nice and functional and pretty desirable. I actually enjoy some of the more secluded areas and rural aspects. I love Fort Foote Park...
Inner PG needs to work on TOD, schools, safety first and foremost. But I guess its permissive attitude towards small businesses is what makes it a favorable place to be a black entrepreneur.
And damn lol RoFo is aggressive. I've never seen anything like it anywhere, honestly. THeyre expansion is so comically aggressive good for them I guess but I always laugh when I see yet another Royal Farms. They're tryna edge up to Philly too.
PG does have low commercial rents with all those vacant commercial strips, so its a good area if you're an entrepreneur I agree.
Most of knowledge of PG is outside the beltway or Northern PG. Inner PG seems to have a whole set of other issues and doesn't even have the transit/density/historic value that Wards 7 and 8 have so I fear it will continue to be a dumping ground for this areas poor.
Unfortunately aside from National Harbor, I don't see any type of investment in improving that part of the county's transit. I wonder if those neighborhoods might benefit from incorporating?
PG does have low commercial rents with all those vacant commercial strips, so its a good area if you're an entrepreneur I agree.
Most of knowledge of PG is outside the beltway or Northern PG. Inner PG seems to have a whole set of other issues and doesn't even have the transit/density/historic value that Wards 7 and 8 have so I fear it will continue to be a dumping ground for this areas poor.
Unfortunately aside from National Harbor, I don't see any type of investment in improving that part of the county's transit. I wonder if those neighborhoods might benefit from incorporating?
I spent my time in PG all over but lived in Central/southern inner PG (Suitland) and (Temple Hills, my then gf's place). Had friends and been to their homes in Fort Washington, the Gale at Eckington in Noma/Eckington, right on North Capitol Street, Arlington, in an income-restricted unit on Georgia Ave, Petworth and Mass Ave just south of AU. Even had a white friend who helped me move to DC he was born in raised way out Northwest. I've had the privilege to survey and compare the retail landscape and landscape in general of many areas of the Washington Metro. And you're right- it doesn't have the density/transit/history of ward 7/8 by and large (also has less crime). National Harbor has the Tanger Outlets and they're cool or whatever nothing to write home about. But there should be more of it all over the county...
Central/Southern (inner) PG will only benefit from incorporation if they have a strong, seasoned community-oriented leader. There is a real lack of community in unincorporated places- something I really do not like in large proportions.
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