Konterra Town Center

[TennBear]

Here is a proposal for Laurel MD. Looks to change the way that Laurel is viewed and spur growth in PG County.

http://www.konterra.com/charrette.asp

http://www.gazette.net/stories/022306/gree...950_31961.shtml

[Southernyank]

I like the birds eye view rendering. It looks to be a huge project.

[tombarnes]

Great news for Laurel! Laurel could use a shot in the arm.

[TennBear]

I like the birds eye view rendering. It looks to be a huge project.

The Birds Eye may be deceiving. Much of the area is already built up and some of this may be a proposal for redevelopment. I think that the group may own a large chunk and is planning to change some of the areas that are currently warehouses and whatever between the Laurel Mall on 1 to 197 as the Center of Town. I really makes a new downtown for Laurel to go along with the historic downtown that is further to the north. The company that bought out Rouse is running the Laurel Mall now and is talking about bringing it back.

[tombarnes]

Konterra: Huge Project Planned for Prince George's County

Developer Kingdon Gould III plans to build a $3 billion development near Laurel which will be called Konterra and Konterra Town Center. I'm not quite sure where the name came from (sounds a bit like a shoe to me), but it should be an enormous catalyst for growth in an area which hasn't seen the same level of investment as Northern Virginia. Prince George's County, however, is also the site of National Harbor, already under construction. The project will include houses, condos, shops and a significant town center. Laurel needs revitalization, but is this the right way to go? Very possibly so, if it all works out. As noted in the article below. Columbia served as a catalyst for growth in Howard County. Let's wait a bit and see if this develops.

The Washington Post

[urbanaturalist]

^^^^Potential Green Line Extension stop.

[tombarnes]

That would make sense. There is going to have to be some serious transportation planning in the region before too long. There are already too many cars for the roads to support. The MARC is a good beginning, but it's only that- a beginning point for the larger issue of moving ever larger numbers of people around a region already cluttered with cars. We must address this issue now or face increasing trouble and $$$ in the future.

[tombarnes]

More on Konterra...

The project's website provides an overview of the planned development. While it follows many of the rules of New Urbanism, at least in the town center, there is nothing particularly special which stands out for me. I could only hope that it would be better than Largo Town Center which feels like a strip mall with streets. There is great potential here, but it must be connected to Baltimore and Washington with good transportation links in order to avoid being another suburban Whoville.

Konterra.com

[krazeeboi]

Man, the DC region is really on town center overload. But hey, some of the best examples of those types of developments done right are from the area, so I can see the justification. But you guys said it--transit connectivity cannot be an option here.

[lexington87]

That would make sense. There is going to have to be some serious transportation planning in the region before too long. There are already too many cars for the roads to support. The MARC is a good beginning, but it's only that- a beginning point for the larger issue of moving ever larger numbers of people around a region already cluttered with cars. We must address this issue now or face increasing trouble and $$$ in the future.

[lexington87]

Man, the DC region is really on town center overload. But hey, some of the best examples of those types of developments done right are from the area, so I can see the justification. But you guys said it--transit connectivity cannot be an option here.

[tombarnes]

I think that the "Town Center" concept has taken off all across the country. As a concept and as a basic form, it's a big improvement over the typical strip center. I would be happier to see more innovative design nomenclature associated with many of these developments. A town center in itself does nothing for urbanism, but it can often represent a step in the right direction.

[krazeeboi]

Aren't they building Alot of Town Center Develoment in the Charlotte/Northern SC Region Too??????????????????????

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Durham's Southpoint is the best town center I have seen in North Carolina.