Students get new choice for upscale housing

20-story towers have four-story parking garage, about 250 units and 910 bedrooms.

Thursday, Aug. 10, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Raphael Talisman⁄ The Gazette The Towers at University Town Center in Hyattsville will house students from several area universities including Maryland, Howard and American Universities. The grand opening was Friday.

‘‘Today we celebrate another home run for Prince George’s (County),” Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. told a crowd gathered under the towers’ forum. ‘‘... It’s the venue for college students in this millennium.”

Ehrlich lauded the collaborative project, which bridged state, county and city governments.

‘‘We have a terrific partnership,” he said. ‘‘Now this county is hot, hot, hot.”

The 20-story towers include a below ground level four-story parking garage, close to 250 units and 910 bedrooms. Students from nine colleges have signed up so far including the University of Maryland, Howard University, Catholic University, Trinity College, American University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Prince George’s Community College and Montgomery College.

Units rent from $695 per student and up for four bedroom suites and $795 per student and up for two bedroom suites. Only four bedroom suites are available.

The buildings are almost rented to capacity, University Town Center President Herschel Blumberg said, adding he expects the place to be fully occupied within another month.

The apartments come in two, three and four bedroom styles. Each has personal bathrooms, common areas and modern décor.

The facility includes a wireless Internet area, a fitness center and a pool and tanning deck on the roof. The project is part of the $1.2 billion University Town Center development. When completed, it will include over 250,000 square feet of retail and entertainment including a Lifestyle Safeway store and a Varsity 14 Theatre.

Former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening Friday lauded Blumberg’s work.

‘‘[He’s] a person who had a vision about what smart growth could be before most people were talking about it,” he said. ‘‘People right here will be able to walk to their jobs, to their meals, to their entertainment and to the Metro. This is what it’s all about.”

With more options for transportation, the UTC promises energy savings at a time when gas prices have spiked, Glendening said.

‘‘This is a testament to the success of smart growth across America,” he said.

While located in Hyattsville, the UTC project will give a strategic boost to the entire county, Mayor William Gardiner said.

‘‘For many decades, University Town Center has been the premier location for (offices) for Prince George’s County,” he said. ‘‘Today it has become the premier live⁄work⁄play location for Prince George’s County.”

Support for the project has been great, from the mayor’s office to the county level.

‘‘Every time I talk about Prince George’s County I brag about University Town Center,” County Executive Jack Johnson said. ‘‘This is gonna be one beautiful place.”

As a hub of collegiate life, the towers invite creative thinking and cooperation.

‘‘The future leaders of this country are right here,” he said, adding that the structure of Maryland and Washington, D.C.’s colleges doesn’t lend well to group initiatives, but having a common living area will make sweeping changes to that trend.

E-mail Sarah Nemeth at snemeth@gazette.net.