The Varsity to Rise Quickly in College Park

While many housing projects in the metro area are getting underway thanks to government subsidies, University of Maryland student housing is going private. Clark Builders Group are ahead of schedule on The Varsity, a six-story, 258-unit apartment complex being developed by College Park Gateway Properties. Contractors report that they are currently "topping out framing, hanging drywall, installing interior trim and cabinets and laying bricks." The development, although not required in any way to accommodate students, and open to all interested individuals, is being heavily marketed to University of Maryland Students. Located just off Route 1, a stone's throw (or an empty beer bottle's throw) from campus, at 8147 Baltimore Avenue in College Park, developers claim the 401,297 s.f. wood-framed building will be able to house over 900 students upon completion.

The standard brick and concrete exterior over wood frame design by Grimm & Parker Architects won't necessarily win any awards, but the building has been packaged with plenty of student-friendly amenities (study rooms, game rooms, and a 2-story state-of-the-art gym, to name a few) and access to green open parkland, as well as landscaped courtyards. The development also includes a partially elevated parking deck (over 200 spaces) and 19,298 s.f. of ground-floor retail space, which developers confirm were completed on May 15th are set to become a sit-down restaurant/sports bar along with a large convenience store. Although the deal hasn't been made official yet, Looney's Pub is expected to be the first tenant of The Varsity.

Shuttles to campus will help students avoid DUI's and get to class on time, and in-house tanning beds will aid students looking to supplement their vitamin D intake. Units will be fully furnished with granite countertops, full kitchens with modern, black energy-star appliances, upscale furniture, washer and dryer units, Wi-Fi, and a flat screen TV with expanded cable. Developers are promising over 27 different floorplans, and promising that all bedrooms will be paired with their own private bathrooms. Construction will be substantially completed this spring, and The Varsity will begin leasing over the summer, just in time for the start of the next school year.

Many other developments are planned for the Baltimore Avenue corridor in College Park. The local blog Rethink College Park reported earlier this year that five of the seven active developments in the are were student housing projects. Clark Enterprises has been involved with two nearly completed projects in University View I & II, both right next door to the almost completed Varsity.

D.C. Real Estate Development News

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Mini-Boom on College Park’s Main Street

While College Park may be lacking in restaurants, nightlife and shopping, it is flush with something rarer: warm bodies in need of shelter. As the seat of the University of Maryland, the Prince George’s County hamlet has a virtual guarantee of student rentals. But given the general lackluster quality of most College Park amenities, two local developers are thinking of solving both problems when it comes to new residential projects on CP’s busiest artery – Baltimore Avenue (Route 1).

The Mark Vogel Companies received the go-ahead just last month from the College Park City Council for their aptly-named Varsity at College Park development – a mixed-use project that would see 258 residential units erected above 20,000 square feet of retail space. Possibilities for the retail space, which would be located next to a similarly styled, college-centric residence hall include a restaurant, coffeehouse and variety of small businesses uses.

The Varsity project, which was also endorsed by College Park Mayor Steve Brayman, barely eked through the approval process, due to concerns over harm to a nearby streambed. Vogel has since committed to spending roughly $750,000 on improving and fortifying the nearby creek. Though the developer has yet to secure all of the financing for the multi-million dollar project, construction is still slated to begin this coming June.

While the Varsity is planned to matriculate next to College Park landmarks like the Town Hall and, um, Jerry's Subs, another similarly-scaled project in the area will remake one. Formerly known as the Starlight Inn, owner Star Hotels, LLC is aiming to revamp their parcel on the 8700 block of Baltimore Avenue with the StarView Plaza – likely welcome to most as an addition to a route best known as the home of Jiffy Lube. The plans for the StarView prepared by Grant Architects include specifications for a 2.4 acre facility intended to include 177 residential units, along with 32,000 square feet of office and retail space. Additional amenities will include a pool and a green roof to accompany its LEED silver certification.

The six-story project was approved by the City Council last September and is currently slated to take on tenants in the fall of 2010. Folger Pratt will serve as general contractor, once the project gets underway, it is estimated, this coming November.

University Town Center Takes a Step Forward

University Town Center, the aging PG plaza dating from the '60s, takes a step toward a fresher face this week with sales for its first condominium building, One Independent Plaza. The new condos will be located between the Metro 1 and Metro 3 office buildings and adjacent to the new 910-bed student housing center. The 112-unit condominium building, within walking distance to the Prince George’s Plaza Metro station, will be selling from the mid $200s The plaza, currently dominated by boxy, heavy edifices designed by Edward Durrell Stone of Kennedy Center design infamy, is expected to receive a thrust of retail and community amenities with the new construction designs. Developed by Prince George's Metro, Inc.