College Park East Campus Aspires to Be Like Downtown Silver Spring
By Silver Springer • Mar 23rd, 2007 • Category: Business and Economic Development
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Taking a page from the successful Downtown Silver Spring mixed-use project, one can’t help but notice the similar project specs laid out for the East Campus development at the University of Maryland,College Park. Right now an industrial badlands and dilapidated student housing site, the plans aspire to mix it up in a similar fashion to Downtown Silver Spring, incorporating residential, retail and office space.
The hope is that the East Campus will act as a catalyst to transform a lackluster “college town†in serious need of a revamp and basic needs, spreading as far as to the notorious off campus student housing called “Knox Boxesâ€, after the primary road on which they face. One student died in a fire after struggling to get out through a window, the buildings have been stamped with safety code violations; talks about redeveloping them have been thrown around for years without any results. Right now the town is littered with liquor stores, drug infested motels, and abandoned properties.
Downtown Silver Spring was integrated with the historic 1938 Art Deco Silver Theatre and shopping center and the American Film Institute’s east coast headquarters. There is over 248,000 sq/ft of office space in a 143’ft signature building, 400,000 sq/ft of ground floor retail including restaurants and entertainment, 200 room, 11 story hotel, 230 residential units and a 20 screen movie theatre. A civic center is close to commence in the center of the development. Also directly adjacent to the project is the previously existing City Place Mall which is planned for an office tower to go on top, it will have 250,000 sq/ft and be192’ feet tall.
Two of the three developers of Downtown Silver Spring will be involved in College Park’s East Campus development. Foulger Pratt and Argo Investment are planning, 2300 to 2400 graduate student housing units, 1500 non-student housing residential units, a retail center around 400,000 sq/ft, a 10 floor office building, a 10 floor hotel and 3800 parking spaces. The parking will require large above ground garages probably more than seven floors, it’s probable and hopeful that they will have upgraded facades and ground floor retail like Downtown Silver Spring.
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Hey SSS…have you heard anything about the development application for 1050 Ripley Street (directly “below” the Midtown Silver Spring project)? Looks like another 200′, 300-something unit housing project. Go to the Moco web site if you don’t know about it yet.
http://www.mc-mncppc.org/silverspring/private_projects/1050_ripley_st.shtm
Yes, I’m aware. Was able to snap a photo of it. Should have a write up on it sometime soon.
The debate continues: Check out Just Up The Pike.
Great, thanks! Is the public allowed to attend the advisory board meetings (where you get some of your advanced information)?
“Comment by woodsider
Made Tuesday, 27 of March , 2007 at 3:03 pm
Great, thanks! Is the public allowed to attend the advisory board meetings (where you get some of your advanced information)?
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The advisory board meetings are open to the public. Feel free to attend.
Ok, so I’m an old UMd alumna who’s not up on the terminology. What’s East Campus? Is that the area with the physical plant buildings and Leonardtown?
Yup.