After years in the government pipeline, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has moved one step closer to bringing the National Weather Center Climate Prediction Center, more commonly known as the National Weather Service, to College Park.

NOAA had announced last year they had been working with university officials to select a site near the campus to house the service. Officials said the yet-to-be constructed building will be located on a 10-acre parcel at the 128-acre M Square, a research park owned by the university near the College Park Metro Station, poised to become the largest in the state when completed.

The service already has a home located in Camp Springs, but employees there said they are eager to move out of the old facility, which they said they have outgrown and is in a crime-ridden area.

Carmeyia Gillis, a spokeswoman for NOAA, said there was excitement about the new building.

“We already had one ground-breaking,” Gillis said. “Now we’re planning on having another.”

NOAA said in 2004 the building is expected to open in 2007 and will house about 800 employees. The General Services Administration, which handles most construction contracts for the federal government, announced this week the construction of the 268,000 square foot building would be handled by Rockville-based real estate developer Opus East. Donald C. Williams, Regional Administrator for GSA’s National Capital Region, said M-Square was an ideal spot for the service to relocate.

Louis W. Uccellini, a director of the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction echoed that sentiment, expressing interest in working with students and professors.

“[We are] excited about the potential in front of us, and are expecting great things to happen with the participation of the academic community,” Uccellini said in the release.

The building is to be technologically advanced and will include rooftop gardens, officials said.

The Diamondback reported in March 2004 that several of NOAA’s departments would be brought under one roof at the new facility, including the National Weather Service and the Office of Research and Applications. Doing so would allow greater coordination among weather prediction, satellite control and research, Gillis said.

Gillis was unable to comment about current plans for the project, but said staff remained excited about prospects.

Contact reporter Kevin Litten at littendbk@gmail.com