WASHINGTON 鈥� A huge new hotel, office, residential and retail development project at the Greenbelt Metro station in Maryland could move forward 鈥渜uickly鈥� after years of waiting, but only if the FBI headquarters moves there.
Metro鈥檚 Real Estate Director Nina Albert said Thursday that the development agreement first executed in 2000 and amended more than a decade later would likely be terminated if the General Services Administration selects one of the other two sites in the running for the FBI鈥檚 move from Pennsylvania Avenue.
鈥淭he changes to Metro facilities at Greenbelt are explicitly tied to the possibility that the FBI headquarters would locate here. If for some reason the FBI were not to choose this location, the proposed facility replacements would not move forward and also this proposed non-rider fee would also not advance,鈥� Albert told the Metro Board鈥檚 Capital Program, Planning and Real Estate Committee.
The non-rider fee would be a parking fee for people who use the planned new 3,700-space parking garage without riding Metro.
, Metro Board members representing Prince George鈥檚 County and the state of Maryland urged Metro to be sure that fee does not apply to MARC riders. Today, the charge, equivalent to the parking rate plus a round-trip fare to Metro Center, already exists at the Metro parking lots at New Carrollton, Twinbrook and White Flint.
鈥淎 policy to try and deter people who are not riding the Metro and other commuter facilities from parking at a much lower rate,鈥� Albert explained. 鈥淭his also helps us make up for any lost revenue to Metro for parking spaces being taken by non-riders.鈥�
She said Metro is in full agreement that MARC riders should not be affected by the $14.50 non-rider fee at Greenbelt, and that she will work with Maryland agencies on potential solutions.
Metro expects more than $7 million each year in additional fare revenue if the 11,000 FBI headquarters employees move to Greenbelt, alongside 1.5 million square feet of planned mixed-use development.
Beneath some of those buildings, Metro would get new bus bays, an improved kiss and ride, taxi stands and the new parking garage.
The land sale would bring Metro $16 million.
鈥淚f Greenbelt is selected, we are poised to move forward quickly,鈥� Albert said.
Malcolm Augustine, who represents Prince George鈥檚 County, calls the development an 鈥渆xciting opportunity鈥� for the county and the Greenbelt area.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 most important is that we put our very best foot forward here from the mass transit standpoint and really talk about how this site in particular 鈥� when you look at the three sites that are out there from a mass transit standpoint is just so much better located. There are challenges, don鈥檛 get me wrong, comparatively, but because there is MARC service there and because the Metro is right there, I think that should weigh favorably,鈥� he said.
More detailed developer proposals for the FBI headquarters are due this month. The GSA is scheduled to make a site decision early next year.
If Greenbelt is not selected, Albert said Metro would move to terminate its agreement with developer Renard, and look for other ways to develop the site at some undetermined time in the future.
