Making College Park a sustainable top 20 college town by 2020

For more than 18 years, the College Park City-University Partnership has worked to improve public safety, transportation, housing, sustainability, and pre-K-12 education in the City of College Park, MD.

In 2011, at the request of University President Dr. Wallace Loh, College Park Mayor Andrew Fellows and College Park City Council, The City-University Partnership developed the University District Vision 2020, which calls for the City of College Park to be a top 20 college town by 2020. The University and the City of College Park, as well as county and state leaders, endorsed and adopted this integrated, comprehensive community development strategy.

Together, with the University of Maryland City, County, and State as its Partners, we are working to implement the Vision 2020 to create a top university community, where lines between campus and city are blurred, and where creativity, learning, innovation, and sustainability happen throughout the community. We have focused on initiatives within five key strategy areas laid out by the Vision – Housing and Redevelopment, Transportation, Public Safety, Education, and Sustainability – and have had much success.

Our Accomplishments:

Housing and Development

  • Creation of a housing and development strategy in the University District
  • Completed major student housing/mixed use projects west of Route 1
  • Assemblage and redevelopment of “Knox box” properties
  • Opening of mixed use housing project for professionals (Domain)
  • Developed Calvert Road School Building and City Hall options
  • RISE Zone Legislation passed
  • Launched a Home Ownership Program through DHCD’s Community Legacy Grant
  • Koon’s Ford property demolished to make way for redevelopment
  • Announcement of the transformation of an old Autoparts store into an upscale café/wine/craft beer restaurant
  • Collaborated with UMD Foundation, U3 Ventures and the Clarice to secure County/State funding for ArtHouse

Transportation

  • Route 1 Pedestrian Safety Improvements
  • Expanded and improved bus service serving City and Route 1
  • Expanded MARC Service on the Camden Line
  • Lighting improvements in pedestrian areas underway
  • Purple Line broke ground
  • Route 1 Rebuild funded as more pedestrian friendly street
  • mBike bike share program launched
  • Grant awarded to study a connecting trail between Paint Branch and Trolley Trails on the north side of Campus Drive
  • CPTED Grant awarded to study the Trolley Trail from Hyattsville to North College Park and analysis completed
  • Paint Branch Parkway was renamed Campus Drive to provide better wayfinding for campus visitors
  • 10 panels of the Paint Branch sound barrier wall were removed to eliminate a blind corner on Campus Drive

Public Safety

  • Expanded UMD Student Code of Conduct throughout the City
  • Expansion of UMD Police Jurisdiction to more of the City
  • Public Safety Cameras implementation (55 cameras city-wide)
  • County Nuisance Board implemented
  • Launched and completed Public Safety Ambassador pilot program
  • Awarded and completed Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design analysis of the Trolley Trail

Education

  • UMD Partnership with Paint Branch Elementary School provided the first Chinese Language instruction for elementary students in Prince George’s County
  • College Park Academy, a rigorous college prep middle and high school, opened 2013

Sustainability

  • College Park is a certified Maryland Sustainable Community
  • The City and University are implementing “green” projects to increase
    residential energy efficiency, reduce stormwater pollution, plant trees, increase use of local food and much more
  • A solar co-op forum was held to explore solar energy options for City residents with the City Committee for a Better Environment
  • A community garden was implemented in Calvert Hills

The City, already a Smart Place to Live, is undergoing unprecedented revitalization. There are more than 30 construction projects in motion, representing about 1.5 million square feet of new development and over $1 billion in public and private investments. The University of Maryland will soon be host to the Edward St. John Center for Learning and Teaching, the Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Innovation, and the new Cole Field House. The estimated to cost over $578 million in total. The Maryland Transit Administration’s new Purple Line is also coming to the city within the next five years. The light rail line will connect Bethesda and New Carrollton via College Park and the university campus.

In the upcoming years, our work will transform ideas to reality and improvements in transportation, safety, education, and sustainability will be added to the redevelopment taking place.

The University District Vision plan encourages the community to continue creating a safer and greener community for families to live in, retain UMD start ups , build up its local public education system, strengthen its network of hiking and biking trails, and attract diverse and exciting business.

The City of College Park, Prince George’s County, the University of Maryland and the State of Maryland are working hand in hand to create and implement this. Together, we will make the University District of College Park a stronger college town by 2020.