Comments on: Hilton Hotel, 12-Story Condo Project Presented to the City Council http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:03:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Sheila http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/comment-page-1/#comment-9625 Sheila Tue, 13 Feb 2007 07:00:48 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/#comment-9625 Mark Vogel is a developer with insight and vision. He is open minded and the best-informed change agent you will encounter. Please communicate your concerns to him. Mark Vogel is a developer with insight and vision. He is open minded and the best-informed change agent you will encounter. Please communicate your concerns to him.

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]]> By: Robert Catlin http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/comment-page-1/#comment-2186 Robert Catlin Tue, 19 Dec 2006 04:20:27 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/#comment-2186 Vogel's condo project is several years old now. It was originally proposed to take up three properties (not just the one property) and it was to have had twice as many units. Many of the residents of the condos would be faculty and staff at the University (it is claimed). For purposes of getting better retail we need a mix of residents in the corridor. Vogel thinks a high priced high rise condo makes sense for his site. It would also be the first such project in the County's history (all other existing high rise condos were converted from apartments). The sector plan does not speak as to who would be the occupants of housing in the corridor, but we were always told that student housing would be easy to finance. Recent happenings concern me and I may have more to add about the issue in January/February as I try learn more about this evolving issue. Vogel’s condo project is several years old now. It was originally proposed to take up three properties (not just the one property) and it was to have had twice as many units. Many of the residents of the condos would be faculty and staff at the University (it is claimed).

For purposes of getting better retail we need a mix of residents in the corridor. Vogel thinks a high priced high rise condo makes sense for his site. It would also be the first such project in the County’s history (all other existing high rise condos were converted from apartments). The sector plan does not speak as to who would be the occupants of housing in the corridor, but we were always told that student housing would be easy to finance.

Recent happenings concern me and I may have more to add about the issue in January/February as I try learn more about this evolving issue.

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]]> By: Mote’s Connector Road Letter at Rethink College Park http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/comment-page-1/#comment-2159 Mote’s Connector Road Letter at Rethink College Park Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:16:59 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/#comment-2159 [...] We reported the other week that University President Dan Mote sent a letter to the College Park City Council supporting the continued project planning for the I-95 Connector Road. There’s nothing too surprising in the letter considering that the university administration has alway pointed to the project as the “only solution” to CP’s traffic woes. One interesting thing is that while Mote supports the phasing of the Route 1 reconstruction he seems skeptical that even the first segment (College Ave to 193) will be funded anytime soon. “Should a shorter first segment prove desirable,” Mote says in the letter, then the University supports a project from College Ave to just north of Paint Branch Parkway. While there would be some clear pedestrian improvements from such a project, we’d like to point out to administrators that that segment of Route 1 already has a median. It may not be pretty, but this existing median provides just the sort of safety improvements needed all along the roadway and especially in the fast growing area around the University View. “the proposed US 1 project does not provide the critically needed capacity improvements for access to and from the State’s flagship university, improvements that only the I-95 Connector Road can provide.” [...] [...] We reported the other week that University President Dan Mote sent a letter to the College Park City Council supporting the continued project planning for the I-95 Connector Road. There’s nothing too surprising in the letter considering that the university administration has alway pointed to the project as the “only solution” to CP’s traffic woes. One interesting thing is that while Mote supports the phasing of the Route 1 reconstruction he seems skeptical that even the first segment (College Ave to 193) will be funded anytime soon. “Should a shorter first segment prove desirable,” Mote says in the letter, then the University supports a project from College Ave to just north of Paint Branch Parkway. While there would be some clear pedestrian improvements from such a project, we’d like to point out to administrators that that segment of Route 1 already has a median. It may not be pretty, but this existing median provides just the sort of safety improvements needed all along the roadway and especially in the fast growing area around the University View. “the proposed US 1 project does not provide the critically needed capacity improvements for access to and from the State’s flagship university, improvements that only the I-95 Connector Road can provide.” [...]

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]]> By: Shawn Magnuson http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/comment-page-1/#comment-1686 Shawn Magnuson Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:25:05 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/#comment-1686 According to a previous post by Robert Catlin, a CP City Council member, he said that, as a solution to the student housing problem, "Land is still available for intensive redevelopment in the Route 1 corridor near the University in the Northgate area that can result in perhaps another 1,500-2,000 student beds. In addition, the redevelopment contemplated for the majority of the Route 1 corridor is ground floor retail, with two or three floors of apartments above. This development could eventually add hundreds of apartments, though these units would likely house all types of renters and not students, exclusively." ( http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/192/ ) This makes me think that this condo building, which would be ON route 1 near North Gate and University View is exactly the type of building that the city would like to use to house students. Maybe the city council member and the mayor disagree? According to a previous post by Robert Catlin, a CP City Council member, he said that, as a solution to the student housing problem, “Land is still available for intensive redevelopment in the Route 1 corridor near the University in the Northgate area that can result in perhaps another 1,500-2,000 student beds. In addition, the redevelopment contemplated for the majority of the Route 1 corridor is ground floor retail, with two or three floors of apartments above. This development could eventually add hundreds of apartments, though these units would likely house all types of renters and not students, exclusively.” ( http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/192/ )

This makes me think that this condo building, which would be ON route 1 near North Gate and University View is exactly the type of building that the city would like to use to house students. Maybe the city council member and the mayor disagree?

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]]> By: thecourtyard http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/comment-page-1/#comment-1562 thecourtyard Fri, 08 Dec 2006 16:17:43 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2006/227/#comment-1562 Lovely blank wall facing Route 1. You know, I bet a few smart parents up in Long Guyland will rent out rooms in the Hilton for their kids to live in given the current housing situation. College Park may continue being so frosty towards the student population - but they needn't forget that there wouldn't be much of a College Park without the college. Lovely blank wall facing Route 1. You know, I bet a few smart parents up in Long Guyland will rent out rooms in the Hilton for their kids to live in given the current housing situation. College Park may continue being so frosty towards the student population – but they needn’t forget that there wouldn’t be much of a College Park without the college.

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