College Park

College Park Council nixes tax break for Metro Apartments; Gives conditional support for plans

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College Park City Council voted to conditionally support plans for a proposed 450-unit apartment building near the city’s Metro Station. But citing disagreement with developers over proposed development concessions, Council also declined to consider an economic development tax credit application builder Gilbane Development Corp. sought from city officials. 

The matter now heads before the Prince George’s County Planning Board at its June 13 meeting. College Park City Council’s support of the development is contingent upon several conditions that Gilbane officials object to. They include a commitment to maintain street furniture and other improvements built as part of the project along River Road, and funding commitments for public art and bicycle and pedestrian enhancements.

College Park

Route 1 Metro property could become parkland

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A six-acre tract of wooded, Metro-owned land next to Riverdale Park Station has been taken off the market to potentially be preserved as green space. In January, WMATA officials revealed plans to sell the land as  part of its surplus land sale effort to unload vacant land it owns to developers. The Calvert Hills Civic Association in College Park issued a letter opposing the sale and urging local governments to purchase the property. Metro’s price for the land was estimated to be between $2 million and $2.5 million. The property was listed by NAI Michael. 

The land itself is a narrow strip under which Metro’s Green Line tunnels between the Prince George’s Plaza Metro and the College Park Metro stations.

College Park
A long, four-story mixed-use apartment building stretches into the distance in an architectural rendering.

First look: College Park Metro apartment plans revealed

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Plans to build 440 apartments next to College Park Metro Station are taking shape as the project moves through the final development review process. And, well, let’s just say it’s a long building. 

The project is part of a concerted effort by Metro to develop the land around its stations into mixed-use activity zones. The hope is such density will foster increased ridership. The project is being developed by Gilbane Development Co., a Rhode Island-based real-estate investment firm. 

Designs call for a 650-foot wide structure to accomodate the 440 units planned for the site. The plans call for a five-story, 440-unit apartment building with 13,00 square-feet of commercial space.