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: