Franklin Park at Greenbelt transformed
Staff Writer
2011-04-11
.dmvblogspot.bloggieblog.com .
More than 50 representatives of state and local government bodies, Federal government agencies, military bases, utility companies, and universities attended a political summit hosted by the new ownership of Franklin Park at Greenbelt Station, a 153-acre rental apartment and townhome community located in Prince George’s County, MD. The participants agreed to form public-private partnerships to help redevelop and improve this 153-acre property that represents about half of the population of Greenbelt.
The summit is part of Fieldstone Properties’ virtually unprecedented effort to catalyze a rapid transformation of one of the largest apartment communities on the East Coast to provide safe, comfortable, convenient, and affordable workforce housing. As part of that effort, Fieldstone Properties is offering incentives for those who protect and serve, including veterans and displaced veterans, police officers, and firefighters. The ownership recently signed Rental Partnership Agreements with Fort George G. Meade, Fort Myer, and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
“Unlike so many owners and developers seeking to convert close-in properties to luxury housing, Fieldstone Properties is committed to working closely with the community and government to provide high-quality, affordable housing for people who live, work, and study in this area, including active-duty military and veterans, government employees, and students,” said Debbie Dillon, Executive Vice President, Fieldstone Properties. “By operating efficiently and buying in volume, we can offer renovated apartments with luxury finishes while keeping rents affordable for those with household incomes starting at $37,000.”
“Since being elected four years ago, one of my visions was to bring economic development to the county, especially near Metro,” said Hon. Ingrid M. Turner, Chair, Prince George’s County Council. “Properties like Franklin Park near Metro stations are jewels that provide the opportunity to bring significant tax revenue to the county and the city of Greenbelt.”
“When Springhill Lake was built over 40 years ago, it was the largest garden apartment community east of the Mississippi,” said Greenbelt Mayor Judith. “J.” Davis. “But over the last 20 years, there was serious decline, and plans to redevelop the area fell apart. When we first met with Fieldstone Properties, we were skeptical, but we now see that they are living up to their goals and expectations, and have become active partners with the city in renovating this valuable asset.”
“The County Executive has always talked about making a good county great,” said Aubrey D. Thagard of the County Executive’s office. “Franklin Park is an important part of that process. We need to marshal all the resources we can to make this a great community again. It’s time we do something to make it even better than it was before.”