$9B Andrews plan arouses interest

Friday, June 29, 2007

$9B Andrews plan arouses interest

Estepp: Dozens of inquiries fielded regarded development at air base

by Liza Gutierrez | Staff Writer

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The Andrews Business and Community Alliance is steadily moving toward realizing its $9 billion vision for the corridor surrounding Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs.

More than 50 calls came in from interested parties after the announcement of the Andrews National Defense and Technology Corridor was made at the base in March, and the group has met with nearly half of the callers, said M.H. ‘‘Jim” Estepp, president of the alliance and the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable. Some have shown interest in locating in the corridor and others have joined the alliance, he said.

The development model includes 7 million square feet of office and retail space, 15,000 residential units and six new public schools.

At a Maryland Military Council meeting in Crownsville on Friday, base commanders and alliance leaders from the region presented individual base issues. Estepp discussed how his alliance is preparing to meet the challenges of personnel — both those connected with the Base Realignment and Closure process and others — coming to the base.

Estepp also noted that his group is moving forward with its corridor plan and preparing to hire someone to implement the group’s vision. The alliance expects to announce the new hire in July.

Andrews is in a strategic position for the state and capital region because it defends and responds to natural and manmade disasters, said Air Force Col. Paul R. Ackerly.

BRAC is expected to bring 600 jobs to the base, with the potential for more as the Air Force resolves other unrelated moves, retired Marine Brig. Gen. J. Michael Hayes, director of Military Affairs at the state Department of Business and Economic Development, said in a memo.

The Air Force has not specified how many jobs unrelated to BRAC are anticipated, Ackerly said.

The business roundtable’s goal is to reduce the 60 percent of Prince George’s workers who commute to other jurisdictions, and attract more residents and businesses to increase the tax base, Estepp said.

That increase will provide the ability to expand services, such as education and public safety, and to improve the county’s standing in the region, said Estepp’s son James R. Estepp, director of operations for the roundtable.

Vonzell Mattocks, general manager and owner of Express Personnel Services, joined the alliance not long before the corridor plan was announced. He founded his staffing company near the base almost two years ago, and now he’ll be a beneficiary of the area’s growth, he said.

‘‘I’m strategically located to assist the service members and their families as they transition into the community for work,” he said.

Realization of the corridor ‘‘would be awesome for Prince George’s County,” which has been underserved in its federal contracting, Mattocks said. ‘‘It’s just intelligent business.”

The alliance has not been able to ignore the sore spot created when county businesses are overlooked for federal contracts, especially in respect to military bases. M.H. Estepp highlighted that concern during the corridor announcement in March, and said the group plans to take steps to remedy that.

‘‘The alliance is hoping to work with federal, state and county officials to make certain that there are proximity requirements in contracts issued for Andrews,” James R. Estepp said.