RT. 1 Between College Park and Hyattsville Set To Look Very Different in 3 years. (Chance: to live in, shop)

[Mr Beco]

Originally Posted by RickyRoma

Demolished tavern part of plans involving new College Park City Hall - News - The Diamondback Online

I just drove by it....saw the fence. Bummer, I wish they had saved the property. Brings back memories!

[Mr Beco]

Cambria is the Flag on‘Koons’ Hotel

Cambria Suites that is coming to the former Koons Ford dealership on Route 1 in College Park.

Sources say Choice Hotels signed an agreement with developer Southern Management to fly its flag at the top of the new, 152-room hotel planned for 8315 Baltimore Avenue. Next door will be a CVS pharmacy, structured parking, and just to the rear, new apartments coming from Wood Partners.

A Southern partnership bought the 3.15 acre Koons property for $3.52 million in early August, after striking a deal with land-seller Crown Real Properties. Southern’s big attraction along Route 1 is the coming ‘Hotel at University of Maryland,’ opposite the main campus, but Southern’s Hillman believes that 296-unit, five-star hotel won’t satisfy hotel room demand once the included conference center is up and running. Ergo, the need for a second hotel like the Cambria.

[Mr Beco]

Prince George’s Plaza Getting New Plan

A new development plan for the Prince George’s Plaza is out, and awaits a public hearing in October.
Think Prince George’s Plaza today, says the Plan, and you think ‘deafening’ rush hour traffic on 410, ‘retail with poor street visibility,’ and acres of parking radiating summer heat. That despite improvements at University Town Center, and momentum from new residential. The vision, says the same Plan, is urban townhouses, chic apartments, hip places to eat and work spots serving a bustling and educated workforce. Within the Plan boundaries are the Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station, The Mall at Prince George’s, UTC, and the Prince George’s Plaza retail across the street. Among the ‘Transit District Development’ Plan’s key recommendations :

 Transform East West Highway into a ‘complete street;’
 Create a new network of pedestrian and bike pathways;
 Allow building heights of up to 32 stories;
 Allow density bonuses in exchange for public improvements;
 Create western entrance at Prince George’s Plaze Metro Station;
 Expect new development to occur on existing parking lots;

Last week, the Planning Board gave staff its ‘permission to print’ the Plan, in advance of the public hearing.

[Mr Beco]

Adventist Buys Laurel Lot for Urgent Care

Now that Adventist Healthcare owns a Laurel lot, it wants to start building on it.

The Rockville health care company paid $1.95 million in late June for a 27,660 square foot lot at 14411 Baltimore Avenue, where it will build one in a new line of urgent care outlets it is spreading across the Maryland suburbs. As it did with the Rockville outlet, Adventist has retained Hembree Construction to assemble the bricks and mortar, and Orlando, Florida-based Hembree recently pulled the building permit.

[Mr Beco]

Cohen Equities the New York development firm first bought 7900 Harkins Road in New Carrollton.

The firm also settled on Metro IV, the 178,450 square foot building at 3311 Toledo Road in Hyattsville. The deed hasn’t yet been published, but the bidding had reached $7.025 million for the building during an online auction.

The two acquisitions give Cohen a pair of Class A office buildings at key Metro stations here; in fact, they may be two of the best buildings in the county at Metro locations.

400,000 square feet of available space in the county. 7900 Harkins has the bulk of it, for every floor of the 12-story building, totaling about 325,000 feet, is available for lease. 3311 Toledo, on the other hand, starts with a 104,000 square foot, 15-year lease with the federal Center for Disease Control. That leaves about 40 percent of the building, or approximately 70,000 feet, still available.

Ironically, 3311 Toledo has been to the auction block before, but this time drew a higher price, perhaps due to the closer start of the GSA lease. It pulled a $4.9 million bid last time, then topped $7 million this time.
The county’s limited share of the regional office market, particularly with GSA tenants, has been a sore spot for several years now. In claiming the two buildings that can most effectively compete for transit-oriented tenants, Cohen is going to the heart of the matter.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by Barry Rock

Cambria is the Flag on‘Koons’ Hotel

Cambria Suites that is coming to the former Koons Ford dealership on Route 1 in College Park.

Sources say Choice Hotels signed an agreement with developer Southern Management to fly its flag at the top of the new, 152-room hotel planned for 8315 Baltimore Avenue. Next door will be a CVS pharmacy, structured parking, and just to the rear, new apartments coming from Wood Partners.

A Southern partnership bought the 3.15 acre Koons property for $3.52 million in early August, after striking a deal with land-seller Crown Real Properties. Southern’s big attraction along Route 1 is the coming ‘Hotel at University of Maryland,’ opposite the main campus, but Southern’s Hillman believes that 296-unit, five-star hotel won’t satisfy hotel room demand once the included conference center is up and running. Ergo, the need for a second hotel like the Cambria.

So is it a 4-star or 5-star hotel?

Cambria is not a bad choice. No pun intended.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by Barry Rock

Prince George’s Plaza Getting New Plan

A new development plan for the Prince George’s Plaza is out, and awaits a public hearing in October.
Think Prince George’s Plaza today, says the Plan, and you think ‘deafening’ rush hour traffic on 410, ‘retail with poor street visibility,’ and acres of parking radiating summer heat. That despite improvements at University Town Center, and momentum from new residential. The vision, says the same Plan, is urban townhouses, chic apartments, hip places to eat and work spots serving a bustling and educated workforce. Within the Plan boundaries are the Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station, The Mall at Prince George’s, UTC, and the Prince George’s Plaza retail across the street. Among the ‘Transit District Development’ Plan’s key recommendations :

 Transform East West Highway into a ‘complete street;’
 Create a new network of pedestrian and bike pathways;
 Allow building heights of up to 32 stories;
 Allow density bonuses in exchange for public improvements;
 Create western entrance at Prince George’s Plaze Metro Station;
 Expect new development to occur on existing parking lots;

Last week, the Planning Board gave staff its ‘permission to print’ the Plan, in advance of the public hearing.

This belongs here: //www.city-data.com/forum/washi...velopment.html

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by Barry Rock

Adventist Buys Laurel Lot for Urgent Care

Now that Adventist Healthcare owns a Laurel lot, it wants to start building on it.

The Rockville health care company paid $1.95 million in late June for a 27,660 square foot lot at 14411 Baltimore Avenue, where it will build one in a new line of urgent care outlets it is spreading across the Maryland suburbs. As it did with the Rockville outlet, Adventist has retained Hembree Construction to assemble the bricks and mortar, and Orlando, Florida-based Hembree recently pulled the building permit.

While this is on Rt. 1, it is off topic. Thanks for sharing though.

[CBMD]

Originally Posted by Barry Rock

Adventist Buys Laurel Lot for Urgent Care

Now that Adventist Healthcare owns a Laurel lot, it wants to start building on it.

The Rockville health care company paid $1.95 million in late June for a 27,660 square foot lot at 14411 Baltimore Avenue, where it will build one in a new line of urgent care outlets it is spreading across the Maryland suburbs. As it did with the Rockville outlet, Adventist has retained Hembree Construction to assemble the bricks and mortar, and Orlando, Florida-based Hembree recently pulled the building permit.

One piece of equipment on site doing site clearing.

[RickyRoma]

Good article on why college towns make for great American cities.

The best places to live in America: How college towns perfected the city - The best places to live in America: How college towns perfected the city - Salon.com
The best places to live in America: How college towns perfected the city - Salon.com