$300M Project Set to Reimagine Campus Drive Intersection

A sleek development for research, offices, retail and housing will rise at the main gateway to the University of Maryland through a new partnership announced this month. 

The Terrapin Development Company (TDC)—a partnership between the university and the University of Maryland College Park Foundation—and Philadelphia-based Brandywine Realty Trust are planning a $300 million development at the southeast corner of Campus Drive and Baltimore Avenue. Called Discovery Point, it will span five acres across from The Hotel at the University of Maryland and Paint Branch Stream Valley Park and be located near the future Purple Line.

The collaboration in UMD’s Discovery District “ushers in the next phase of development projects that further enhance our dynamic campus community,” said university President Darryll J. Pines. “Together, we will grow our ecosystem for innovation and technology to create a lasting impact for the university’s students, faculty, staff and neighbors.” 

The new plan is the latest component in the ongoing revitalization of Greater College Park. TDC has also joined with Greystar Real Estate Partners to build apartments for nearly 800 students and more than 21,000 square feet of ground-floor retail at the intersection of Knox Road and Sterling Place. Other significant projects now under construction include a new city hall and public plaza at the intersection of Knox Road and Baltimore Avenue, with offices for UMD and retail space scheduled to open in Fall 2021, and the Southern Gateway development from TDC and Bozzuto Development Co. on the site of the former Quality Inn and Plato’s Diner; its approximately 400 housing units and 62,000 square feet of retail are estimated for completion in Spring 2022.

This latest project, featuring 550,000 square feet of research, office and retail space, is designed to link together university researchers, students and staff with private sector companies and laboratories. The project’s first phase, which could be completed in 2024, will build office and retail space on the parcel directly north of The Hotel at the University of Maryland. Subsequent development will take place on the parking lot east of the hotel, with additional office and retail space, 200 to 250 multifamily residential units and a parking garage.

“This development will be transformational for the city, county and state,” said Ken Ulman, TDC president and the university’s chief strategy officer for economic development.

With designs by Baltimore-based Ayers Saint Gross and Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, the project is aiming to incorporate natural and pedestrian-friendly elements for flexible, open community gathering places.

“We are delighted to partner with Terrapin Development Company to create a neighborhood of vibrant spaces,” said Jerry Sweeney, president and CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust. “The Discovery District will deliver an unmatched convergence of talent, transit, and amplify the visionary spirit that will be the foundation for a world-class innovation ecosystem. Once complete, this project will deliver durable value to the university, business and entrepreneurial stakeholders and the region.”