Towne Center at Laurel under construction in 2014.
Greenberg Gibbons has made a name for itself in Prince George’s County. It is the key developer for one of two main attractions coming to Prince George’s County – Towne Center at Laurel. Greenberg Gibbons, located in Owings Mills, Md., is no strangers to conducting development in Maryland. The company has worked on projects including the award winning construction of Annapolis Towne Centre, Hunt Valley Towne Centre in Cockeysville, Md., The Village at Waugh Chapel, and Waugh Chapel Towne Centre in Crofton, Md.
The team features a seasoned group of industry leaders who provide a clear vision to create first-class retail and lifestyle destinations, coupled with strong day-to-day execution to finance, develop, lease, and manage properties for optimum performance and customer satisfaction, according to their website.
The renovation of the Towne Center at Laurel has already begun and stores are already open. Burlington Coat Factory is scheduled to open in March and other stores will open this fall, including the first B.J.’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in the state of Maryland. Additionally the facility will house Outback Steakhouse, Kay Jewelers, Subway, Sports Authority, Old Navy, Downtown Locker Room, Panera Bread, Party City, Express Urgent Care, Tutti Frutti, Harris Teeter, Massage Envy, BurgerFi, Blaze Pizza, Noodle and Company, and Regal Cinemas. All of these stores are set to be built and open by mid-November.
The other big project getting underway in Prince George’s County is a 12-floor 4-star luxury hotel in College Park, scheduled to open in 2016.
After years of proposals, Southern Management Corporation will bring this project into existence. It will contain 276 guest rooms, sophisticated restaurants with bars, a colossal ballroom, swimming pools, conference and meeting rooms, and an innovation incubator where students can launch start-up companies. The groundbreaking for the University of Maryland Hotel and Conference Center is scheduled for the spring.
“A lot of the people that work in the university don’t live in the area, and I think that with more services they will,” Southern Management’s CEO David Hillman told the Washington Post.
University of Maryland College Park students are looking forward to the hotel being built. “This is a great attraction not only for our school but for tourists and others who come to visit the state of Maryland,” UMCP junior Ryan Washington said.
Lisa Richardson, another junior on campus, said, “This [will be] a great place for people to stay . . . during . . . night [events] . . .”
Though students’ excitement is high, the proposal still needs approval and permit authorization from the Prince George’s County planning board.
Courtney Jacobs contributed to this article.