By George Gerbo
@thedbk
For The Diamondback
Local officials renamed Paint Branch Parkway as Campus Drive during a ceremony June 30 in a move they said will better connect the community with the University of Maryland’s campus.
“We want to tie the innovation district with the campus, with downtown College Park, and also provide some wayfinding methods for vehicular traffic,” District 2 councilman Monroe Dennis said.
There were about 20 people in attendance, including city, university and Prince George’s County officials such as former Mayor Steve Brayman, city manager Scott Summers and Eric Olson, the College Park City-University Partnership executive director.
The university no longer thinks of Route 1 as a separation point for the campus, said Carlo Colella, vice president for administration and finance. The 1.7-mile road between Route 1 and Kenilworth Avenue is the eastern gateway to the university’s campus, and the surrounding area houses multiple university facilities, including M Square Research Park and its 4,000 employees.
“With the hotel and the innovation district, then beyond with the Metro, the research park and now the Purple Line coming through… we see a much more seamless connection between both sides of [Route 1],” said Colella, who also attended the event.
The newly-renamed Campus Drive — previously named for the Anacostia River tributary that flows nearby — will also be more recognizable, helping to eliminate confusion for drivers traveling to this university from the Capital Beltway, he noted.
“People who are coming to the university from parts east can get to Kenilworth Avenue and then turn on Campus Drive,” Colella said. “So it’s a much more natural way for them to know their way to campus.”
Dennis said the move will tighten and strengthen the Greater College Park community as the innovation district, which provides office and research space for students and faculty start-ups to grow, continues to expand.
“The innovation district is something we’ve been talking about for more than 10 years,” Dennis said. “Now it’s beginning to come to fruition, and I think that’s one reason why it’s a good time to make this transition.”
Businesses located on Paint Branch Parkway, such as the FDA and College Park Airport, supported the change, Colella said, adding that it allowed the College Park City-University Partnership to “reconnect” with them.
“It was a great way to have a conversation and update folks on what’s going on, and also to get input from them as to what they’d like to see coming about,” Colella said. “They were very enthusiastic and supportive of this.”
The city originally voted for the name change April 25 in a 7-0 vote, with one abstention, after initially considering the idea at a Feb. 2 work session.
