After more than eight years of construction, the former site of the Lasick’s Beef & Seafood restaurant and the old Hillcrest Hotel is fully redeveloped, said Eric Olson, the executive director of the College Park City-University Partnership.
The Monument Village apartment building, developed by Monument Realty, had its grand opening on Sept. 28, but residents moved in as early as July 29, said Abie Kaloko, the building’s leasing manager.
Construction for the project began in 2014, according to a Diamondback article, but the site approved plans for construction in 2007. However, during the 2007 recession, the site’s former developer, JPI, had to “put the plans on hold,” Olson said.
The five-floor building contains more than 200 “stylish apartment homes,” according to the building’s website, and although Kaloko said they lease apartments to anyone who is qualified, Olson said this development is geared toward young professionals.
The development, located on 9122 Baltimore Ave, offers studio as well as one- and two-bedroom units, said Alan Hew, a resident of South Autoville, College Park. Monument Village also provides the community with 4,800 sq. feet of retail space — enough for two small businesses or offices — but these spaces remain vacant for now, Kaloko said.
No information has been released regarding when these vacant spaces will be filled or what they will be, but Hew hopes the new establishments will benefit the entire community, not just the building’s residents.
Hew is the community liaison between his neighborhood of South Autoville and the development, and his community — located directly behind Monument Village — is most affected by the building, he said. In negotiations with Monument Realty, the city and Prince George’s County, Hew said he voiced the community’s concerns of the building’s “long term impact” on the neighborhood.
Bright lights on the building’s garage, traffic flow, pedestrians and noise are all things that Hew said he believes could have a potential negative impact on the community.
“There were some challenges through negotiations,” Hew said. “A lot of these things look fine on paper until you see it. The end results can be a hit or miss.”
Hew will continue to communicate with the developer in order to resolve these issues, most specifically the bright garage lights issue, which has already proved to be a problem.
Despite these concerns, Olson said this development is a positive addition to College Park. Monument Village will help to make the city more “walkable,” he said, while increasing the number of young professionals and university staff living in the community.
“Having a variety of housing types helps to diversify the people who are living here and helps to relieve traffic on the roads,” Olson said. “It’s starting to change the feel of Route 1, trying to make it more pedestrian friendly, bit by bit.”
