SECTION IV: ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

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Existing Conditions Summary

While not one of the officially designated economic submarkets in Plan 2035, the sector plan area has a role to play by building a local, transit-oriented, neighborhood-serving economic center. There were approximately 82,000 square feet of primarily Class C office space across 11 properties already built in the sector plan area in 2021. The existing inventory is very old, with the newest building constructed in 1966 (one building underwent a renovation in 2007). There is currently no Class A office space in sector plan area. The nearest Class A office space is primarily located at University Town Center, outside of the sector plan area and north of MD 410 (East West Highway), and significant portions of this space are under conversion to residential use. Nonetheless, there is a new Kaiser Permanente medical facility project under construction near the West Hyattsville Metro Station on Ager Road and it includes 47,000 square feet of medical office space.

The sector plan area has approximately 475,000 square feet of retail space across more than 40 properties, not including gas stations, auto repair, and other miscellaneous lots. More than half of the existing retail space is located across four shopping centers: The Shops at Queens Chillum, Queens Chapel Town Center, Chillum Shopping Center, and Kaywood Shopping Center. Forty percent of this inventory is Grade C, or inadequate, leaving 285,000 square feet of usable retail space. The sector plan area currently is over-retailed, with a surplus of 25,700-112,100 square feet.

Policies and Strategies

Policy EP 1. Promote local entrepreneurship and small, local, and minority-owned business development. See also Strategies LU 4.4 and LU 5.3.

EP 1.1. Work with local governments and community partners to develop programs that incentivize and support existing and new small, local, and minority-owned businesses, including, but not limited to, international and specialty grocery stores and restaurants.

EP 1.2. Evaluate the potential of rent subsidies and other financial support to help small, local, and minority-owned businesses stay in their current location or locate into new buildings as redevelopment occurs.

EP 1.3. Provide shared facility/incubator space for local start-up businesses, especially those within a half mile of the Metro station (for example, a food hall).

Policy EP 2. Create attractive commercial corridors to serve residents and visitors. See also Strategy LU 4.4, Policy LU 8, and Policy HD 5.

EP 2.1. Work with property owners, leasing agents, and the private sector to concentrate regionalserving retail in the Prince George’s Plaza Regional Transit District and neighborhood-serving retail in the West Hyattsville Local Transit Center.

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EP 2.2. Place neighborhood-focused retail and services on the ground floor of mixed-use buildings.

EP 2.3. Create a dynamic commercial main street corridor stretching east along Hamilton Street from the West Hyattsville Metro Station. See also Strategy LU 4.4.

EP 2.4. Locate retail businesses, such as convenience retail, restaurants, bars, and personal services near the West Hyattsville Metro Station to serve transit commuters and users of the regional trail network and catalyze development of other retail/services in the area.

EP 2.5. Retain and attract a diverse range of tenants, including eating and drinking establishments, to the commercial storefronts along the south side of Varnum Street. As redevelopment occurs along the north side of Varnum Street, create a row of neighborhood-serving retail/commercial uses. See also Strategy LU 8.1.

EP 2.6. Create a row of eating and drinking establishments to serve trail users and neighborhood residents along UC-211 (Queenstown Drive Realignment) north of UC-213 (Chauncey Place

Extended). See also Strategy LU 8.3.

EP 2.7. Create a retail corridor along UC-214 (Buchanan Street extension) and along MD 500 (Queens Chapel Road) from Buchanan Street to Chillum Road to replace existing retail at the

Chillum Road Shopping Center and the Shops at Queens Chillum. See also Strategies LU 5.3 and

LU 6.3.

Policy EP 3. Diversify business growth and job opportunities in the sector plan area while investing in training and maintaining a skilled workforce. See also Policy HC 3.

EP 3.1. Leverage new medical office building at 5620 Ager Road to attract other locally serving healthcare services.

EP 3.2. Collaborate with local area higher educational institutions to identify opportunities in the

Local Transit Center for a satellite campus or school specializing in certain trade or industry skills.

EP 3.3. Partner with Employ Prince George’s to host job fairs and occupational skills training in the sector plan area.

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Figure 1. Recommended Commercial Corridors. See also Policy EP 2.

Source: Prince George’s County Planning Department, GIS Open Data Portal, 2021, https://gisdata.pgplanning.org/opendata/. Full data citation available in [HYPERLINK TO ONLINE APPENDIX PENDING].