Rethink College Park

The Journalism School’s $30 million Knight Hall, having originally been announced in 2006, is now complete. According to the school’s press release, a few spaces in the building won’t be quite complete later this semester but we’re happy to see UMD’s planned west mall (to take the place of lot 1) starting to take shape. It’s expected to be the first building on campus to be certified LEED gold for its many environmental features. Truly a word class facility for one of the nation’s top journalism programs.

Two criticisms:

• For some reason UMD decided to maintain a rather sizable parking lot between the new building and the Benjamin Building (education school) directly to the east. This is blatantly contrary to the stated vision of the Campus Master Plan to make such intimate spaces pedestrian areas. It’s a strange juxtaposition when you consider the parking lot is adjacent to a very environmentally friendly courtyard next to night hall that uses recycled rain water.
• Despite UMD’s expansive Campus Bicycle Plan only one rack was installed next to the building. It holds a measly 6 bikes. Either journalism students don’t bike to class or UMD-DOTS is not as fully engaged as they claim to be in the bicycle parking placement process.

The following was written by Dr. Ralph Bennett, Professor Emeritus, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and will appear in the March 2010 edition of the Faculty Voice. Dr. Bennett has been a tireless advocate of sane campus development for well over a decade and continues to serve the campus community in several capacities… including his recent appointment to Dr. Gerlald Miller’s ad hoc Senate committee on campus land use decisions.

The University of Maryland will be widely recognized as a national model for a Green University. In ten years time the University will have made substantial progress towards addressing energy issues. It will have slashed energy use, expanded green spaces, dramatically reduced its carbon footprint, and built and retrofitted buildings to strict environmental standards.” The University will complement these concrete actions with its teaching, research, and development efforts in energy science and policy, smart growth, environmental mapping, sustainable agriculture, and other fields.
~University of Maryland Climate Action Plan, 2008

Two years ago, I wrote on these pages about the University’s apparent delaying tactics in supporting and planning for the Purple Line (“Red Herrings and the Purple Line”, 2008). Since that time, the State has shown remarkable leadership in re-starting the project after years of delay. Light rail on a route which brings it through the campus has been designated as the Locally Preferred Alternative by Gov. O’Malley and endorsed by the Council of Governments and Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties – all milestones necessary to make the project eligible for Federal planning and construction money. And detailed design is well underway. Continue reading →

If you have been following the site for awhile, you probably have noticed that we’ve implemented a new theme over the last couple weeks. We’re very excited to bring all our old content and great new content onto a more modern blogging platform. Please bear with us as we work out some of the kinks and tweak the new layout. Comment on this post if you notice any problems. Also, join the conversation on our new twitter account!

In case you missed it, the University is considering if a recent court ruling would mean it could be exempt from the city’s admissions and amusement tax. The tax is charged on admission to intercollegiate athletic events at the school and accounts for as much as $550,000 a year in tax revenue for the city… making up a significant chunk of the city’s annual $13.3 million budget.

One of the founding visions of Rethink College Park is to bridge the divide between the City and the University. Were this money to be diverted from city coffers and not replaced with a comparable funding stream, we feel this action would deal a devastating blow to already tenuous City-University relations.  Such skulduggery on the University’s part has no place in College Park…. especially at a time when UMD is trying to pick up the pieces of East Campus and needs the cooperation of local officials more than ever.

Instead of  trying to build a bubble around itself, UMD needs to embrace its shared destiny with the City. This latest development is nearly as foolish as Dr. Mote’s 2006 letter to Maryland DOT supporting Route 1 reconstruction only where it crosses University property. It’s a narrow-minded mentality that fails to recognize that College Park’s prosperity and future are inextricably linked with the University’s own vision to be a top ten public university. East Campus is a good start but that development alone will not be enough to unblight Route 1 and transform the city into a national model for smart growth. Realizing that vision will take a level of mutual trust and mutual respect between the City and University that we have yet to see.

From a Diamondback editorial on this latest UMD move:

With congested traffic and decrepit liquor stores, College Park is far from paradise. However, if university officials get their way, things could get much worse…………

Although we generally support efforts by university officials to save hundreds of thousands of dollars, trying to become exempt from the amusement tax would be insulting to the city and short-sighted.

Article on possible tax exemption from the Diamondback and Gazette.

Of the seven active construction projects (listed on our area projects by number page) in College Park right now, five of them are student housing. The other two are University-led office buildings in M-Square. Indeed, there is an unprecedented amount of dirt moving on Route 1 right now; proving that while the national economy may still be floundering, CP student housing fundamentals are still strong. If you include South Campus Commons #7 (which was just completed near Van Munching Hall) we’re witnessing the completion of about 3,600 public, private, and public-private (partnership) student beds over the course of about 3-4 years. That’s an incredible number when you consider that the first six Commons buildings and the first phase of University View only amounted to 2,925 beds.

This surge in construction has led some to speculate that perhaps we’ll witness a student housing bubble since all of these units are dedicated student housing and totally separate from the larger area rental market. These developers who are breaking ground don’t seem to think so. We think it’s too early to tell, but a bubble wouldn’t be such a bad thing for student rents. Otis Warren’s planned University View phase III (8350-8400 Baltimore Ave. in image above) which will house about 1000 beds is apparently stalled because of market conditions (they leased out their 8400 Baltimore Ave office building for another year). UMD is also holding tight on Commons #8. If either of these projects get moving again in 2011 or soon thereafter, it will be a clear indication that developers and financiers still see profit potential in student high rises.

Here is a construction rundown: Continue reading →

The Varsity Grill is closing its doors after just under two years. The owners blamed its demise on both the local economy and its inability to attract a loyal following among students. The past two years has been a abysmal time to get a business off the ground and we are sad to see the Varsity Grill go. It would seem that with all of the construction nearby that the Grill would soon have a large base of patrons.

UPDATE: According to the Diamondback the real reason for the sudden closure of the popular restaurant is because the landlord is selling to property to a high-rise developer.

Continue reading →

Washington Post Plant

The University announced today that they plan to purchase the abandoned Washington Post site for $12 Million with the intention to use the site to house facilities currently on the East Campus site.  This is a clear victory for those who were opposed to using the Wooded Hillock site  for relocation as was previously recommended.

The Washington Post site is 18.5 acres with 315,000 square feet of space available. A good portion of the indoor space is 2 1/2 stories tall and could be converted to seperate floors if needed.

Is this a good plan? Brilliant move? Waste of money? What are your thoughts? The Campus press release is after the break.

Also see  Post to Abandon College Park Printing Plant

Continue reading →

*Indicates updated project information
New information italicized

PLANS FILED (8)

CHINESE BIBLE CHURCH OF COLLEGE PARK*
The Chinese Bible Church has filed their Detailed Site Plan to build an addition to their existing church and to expand their parking lot.  The DSP has not been accepted.

THE DOMAIN AT COLLEGE PARK*
Located at the corner of Campus Drive and Mowatt Lane, this project is proposed to be a 5-story luxury multi-family building with 250 residential units and 5,000 – 10,000 square feet of retail.  The Hanover Company will be the developer.    The developer will market the project to graduate students, young professionals, visiting professors, and empty nesters.  The project is expected to be delivered in the fall of 2012 based on a tentative construction schedule.  In July 2009, the District Council approved a zoning change from R55 to M-X-T. Continue reading →