2013 Spotlight on Prince George's County: Maryland county secures promising future

Rendering of initial vision for MD Housing Dept headquarters
New Carrollton, MD
Photo courtesy: WTOP

Despite it's large population and numerous important institutions (NASA-Goddard, IRS, Census Bureau, Joint Base Andrews, University of Maryland, etc.), Prince George's County, which shares nearly its entire western border with DC, has been struggling to keep pace with other Beltway counties in attracting high-paying jobs and high-quality retail/residential/commercial development. This is probably mostly due to the persistent negative image the county has had because of its relatively high crime rates (despite serious crime being concentrated mainly in small pockets inside the Beltway and decreasing year over year) and schools that are perceived to be of lower quality than those in other suburban jurisdictions. 

That said, 2013 brought some very welcome news for the county in terms of its economic prospects, and the year was no doubt an unqualified success for County Executive Rushern Baker. A number of projects were announced this year that would bring hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, as well over 20,000 jobs to the county over the next few years:

MGM National Harbor

- MGM Casino at National Harbor: Clearly the big prize for the county this year. After competing with Penn National and Greenwood Racing for a state bid to build a casino in Prince George's county, MGM unsurprisingly came out on top with its elaborate design at the already extensive National Harbor development. The colossal $925 million  facility would include 3,600 slot machines, 140 table games, a 21-story hotel and spa, seven restaurants, and a 1,200-seat theater. The casino, which would open in 2016, would also create over 8,000 permanent jobs for the county.

- Possible FBI Headquarters Relocation: Perhaps the most significant news this year (even more so than the MGM Casino) is that the Greenbelt Metro/MARC station has been shortlisted as a candidate for a new headquarters for the FBI which wants to move from the outdated Hoover building in downtown DC. Unfortunately, Greenbelt faces stiff competition from a site near the Franconia-Springfield Metro/VRE station (all other locations were disqualified for being too far from a Metro station or the Beltway). If Greenbelt were chosen, the move (which would include 11,000 jobs) would provide a huge economic boost for the county.

- New High-Quality Retail Options: In September, developer Cafritz Enterprises, finally cleared the many hurdles to getting their mixed-use development in Riverdale approved to go into the permitting phase. The development will be anchored by Whole Foods' first store in the county. The entire development, which will also include 1,000 units of multifamily housing, a 120-room hotel, 22,000 square feet of office space and about 168,000 square feet of retail, will provide 463 permanent retail jobs to the county.

Tanger Outlets National Harbor
Photo courtesy Norry H. via Yelp

In November Tanger Outlets opened its newest retail center in National Harbor. The 340,000 sq. ft., $100 million location contains 80 stores, including designer brands such as Michael Kors and Cole Haan, and is 99% leased. The new outlets mall added 900 full- and part-time retail jobs to the county.

- New Maryland Housing Dept. HQ: In September the Prince George's Planning Board cleared the way to construction of a new 4-story headquarters for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development in New Carrollton a block away from the Amtrak/MARC/Metro/future Purple Line station. The move will bring nearly 400 jobs to the county and the accompanying development will add 556 residential units and retail space.

New Hospital Center at Largo Town Center
Photo credit: The Washington Post

- New Regional Hospital: In August, Largo Town Center was selected as the site for a new $645 million regional hospital with 259 beds. The 70-acre site is located near the Largo Town Center Metro station and the large Boulevard at the Capital Centre retail center. The new hospital, which will be a full-service medical complex and trauma center, is tentatively scheduled to open in 2017.