Construction has begun on the first units in a residential development in Beltsville, which is projected to give Prince George’s County a “significant economic shot in the arm.”

Thomas Aylward, vice president of development in Jackson-Shaw’s Lanham office, said this week the $200 million, 63-acre project plays into the community’s growth. Jackson-Shaw, of Dallas, is the developer of the project, known as Brickyard Station.

When completed, Brickyard Station is estimated to support 1,300 units and be a transit-oriented community next to a MARC train station. The community is on the former site of the Washington Brick manufacturing complex and mine.

Brickyard Station is part of the Brick Yard, a 125-acre master-planned, multi-use development that represents a half-billion-dollar investment from Jackson-Shaw, according to company information. Jackson-Shaw began restoring the area from its industrial mining zone in 2005 and has transformed it into a 400,000-square-foot commercial complex comprising seven buildings. Tenants include Limbach Facility Services, Floormax, Party Rental and Freestate Electrical.

JLB Partners of Irving, Texas, is handling the first phase of the residential construction nearby, which includes 433 apartment units and about 7,000 square feet of potential retail space. This phase is expected to be completed next September and will result in $8 million in school and infrastructure impact fees to the county, Aylward said. The first phase involves a $100 million investment.

“We’re taking a raw piece of dirt and turning it into a vibrant community,” said Graham Brock, development partner with JLB, emphasizing how the project will tie into surrounding economic development efforts.

Brickyard Station is minutes from Laurel, where the 2,200-acre, mixed-use development Konterra is being built and where the Intercounty Connector will connect the Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 corridors to Montgomery County’s I-370. The area also is seeing an influx of people at Fort Meade through the Pentagon’s 2011 base realignment program, Brock said.

“People are really going to understand what it means to live here,” he said.

JLB chose the area because of its proximity to Washington and the jobs there, Brock said. The MARC train station provides access to both Baltimore and the Washington Metro system, he said.

Brock said his company plans to build an additional 427 units during its second phase three years from now.

While JLB is working on apartment units, Ryland Homes of Calabasas, Calif., has begun construction of 405 single-family homes and townhomes.

Ryland plans to have 82 townhouses in its first phase, which should be completed this year, Aylward said. Representatives from Ryland were not available for comment.

Together, the new units will support retail in the immediate area, Aylward said, calling the project Beltsville’s first “significant” one in the last five years. He said community groups have been supportive.

“Our original vision for the Brick Yard site was to create 1 million square feet of industrial space; however, Jackson-Shaw listened to the voice of the market and the community and ultimately created a project with office, industrial, residential and retail elements to benefit everyone,” Chase Galbraith, vice president of development for Jackson-Shaw, said in a statement.

Brickyard Station is intended to be a pedestrian-friendly campus with an extensive system of trails and numerous open green spaces, according to Jackson-Shaw information. Its commercial counterpart will feature a 20-acre dinosaur park.

lrobbins@gazette.net