Marlboro Pike Market Feasibility Assessment (PAMC)

Project Planner

Updates

The consultant presented the market summary to the Pike Partnership on April 18, 2024.

Project Description

The Marlboro Pike Market Feasibility Assessment will be undertaken for a portion of Marlboro Pike from Brooks Drive (5300 block) to Forestville Road (7600 block), north along Ritchie Road to Darcy Road, approximately three miles. Marlboro Pike originated as the Washington-Marlboro Turnpike, linking the county seat of Upper Marlboro with the District of Columbia, and grew significantly from the 1930s through the 1950s. Automobiles allowed people to move farther from Washington, D.C., without having to rely on street cars and trolleys, and a demand for houses provided a market for suburban growth.

In 1939, the area’s first shopping center was built at Coral Hills. Nearby major federal institutions, including the Census Bureau complex and Joint Base Andrews, further increased market demand for housing. The number of residents grew by 150 percent in the 1940s and doubled again in the 1950s. In the 1960s, Pennsylvania Avenue was extended from central Washington, D.C. to Upper Marlboro and beyond, effectively creating a bypass of the communities along Marlboro Pike. This was the start of a fundamental change in the character of the Pike, as it was no longer a main thoroughfare. Most traffic was rerouted, and the Pike lost the economic benefits of through traffic. The continuing availability of vacant land and the construction of the Capital Beltway contributed to the decline.

Over the years, areas of disinvestment have led to deterioration and what many residents perceive to be unsafe conditions. Many of the surrounding communities appear to have disassociated themselves from the Pike. The 2009 Approved Marlboro Pike Sector Plan contains comprehensive recommendations for revitalization of the Pike based on a market analysis, stakeholder input, project area inventories, and a SWOT analysis. However, a sector plan scorecard undertaken in February 2022 determined that only six percent, or nine of the 154 actionable recommendations, had been completed. After 14 years and transformative changes in the housing, retail, and office markets triggered by technology, demographics, the COVID-19 pandemic, and interest rates, the analysis is obsolete. The Marlboro Pike Partnership CDC was formed in 2020, and seeks revitalization ideas to spur investment and expand economic opportunity and safety for all residents and businesses along the Pike, as well as façade improvement and rebranding ideas to make it an attractive destination. Previous and current revitalization efforts include an application for ULI/COG TAP and ongoing meetings with County agencies and partners to address quality-of-life issues in this area. 

The purpose of the project is to:

• Analyze, interpret, and understand the current market and economic conditions of the study area; 
• Develop a report that details the capacity of the study area for economic growth and
• Provide recommendations to improve upon and advance the interests of the Marlboro Pike community based on an assessment of feasibility.

Project Boundary

Timeline

• Planning Board Approval: December 14, 2023
• Project Kickoff: February 6, 2024
• Field Tour: March 1, 2024
• Partnership Presentation I – Market Summary: April 18, 2024
• Key Informant Interview Process: April-July 2024
• Market Assessment and Development of Recommendations: June-August 2024
• Partnership Presentation II – Market Assessment Report: August 2024
• Final Report – Market Feasibility Assessment: October 2024