Growth in suburban Maryland is 'exploding'

William Askinazi freely admits growth in Maryland's capital region has been exploding, especially in Prince George's County.

We're seeing a number of major-league projects, said Askinazi, assistant secretary for business development in Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George's counties. An important project going up is the University of Maryland Enterprise Campus - known as M Square - which will be a 115-acre research park located adjacent to the university and the College Park Metro Station. By the time it is completed, 5,000 jobs will have been created.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is locating its national center for weather and climate prediction [at the research park]. It will be a state-of-the-art facility for weather diagnostics and forecasting. The other anchor is the University of Maryland's Center for the Advanced Study of Language, which ties into homeland security, he said.

Also on Prince George's horizon is the National Harbor, a project that will consist of six miles of waterfront development on the Maryland side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge that is expected to be completed in 2007 or thereabouts. The cost will run into hundreds of millions of dollars and will include a convention center, IMAX theater, water taxis to ferry visitors from Reagan National Airport, restaurants, hotels and bike paths - all with the intent of luring tourist dollars from Virginia and Washington.

Home to dozens of federal agencies - including the National Institutes of Health, National Institutes for Standards and Technology, and the Food and Drug Administration - Montgomery County is selling itself on its brainpower.

Maryland is ranked No. 1 in percentage of work force with B.A. or higher degrees, second in per-capita ranking of doctoral scientists and engineers in the work force, first in per-capita ranking of doctoral scientists and engineers in health science, and second in bioscience and agriculture. We use that fact to compete with Atlanta and Boston. We have more than 325 life science companies in Maryland, and more than 270 of them are in the Montgomery County corridor, which roughly runs from the Frederick County border to College Park, said Askinazi.

This corridor is home to giants like MedImmune, Human Genome Sciences, Invitrogen, Cambrex and others. Then there are the smaller companies - those with one to 50 employees - and there are hundreds of them, such as GenVec, whose TNFerade is being developed to improve the treatment of cancer, he said.

Also in Montgomery County, a revitalization in Silver Spring is drawing major players to the downtown area. Three decades ago, the town was decidedly down on its heels, but today it is home to Discovery Communications, the American Film Institute and United Therapeutics.

The recently opened Silver Spring Innovation Center in Montgomery County is one of Maryland's newest incubators and already is 75 percent occupied. The center is expected to play host to young entrepreneurs working on IT projects that will support defense companies by providing sensor technologies, biodefense products and 3D software technologies.

There is also a buzz of activity in Frederick County, a place once known best for its dairies and their cows.

We have a lot of new biotech and life science companies that are locating farther north to get away from the congestion of Montgomery County, Askinazi said. Over the course of the next five years, Fort Detrick will see a $5 billion to $7 billion infusion of federal money. It will be home to a significant homeland security effort and a host of other federal agencies that will pretty much make it the world center for biodefense technologies.

Surrounding the fort itself will be a concentric ring of retail stores, restaurants, parks and fountains. That's the beauty of having the federal government in this region, Askinazi noted. It invigorates spending and investment and attracts other jobs.

Finally, Hood College and its new incubator are working closely with Frederick Community College to meets the needs of the growing number of companies seeking workers.

The 'Magic Triangle' is that of industry, government and academia, and Maryland's future success is wedded to this concept, said Askinazi.

Frederick County

Frederick County supports its diverse industry base through numerous programs and services, including a Small Business Revolving Loan Fund, a Business and Employment Center for recruitment and work- force needs, fast-track permitting status for qualified companies and active partnerships with various industry-specific service organizations. Frederick County also has a highly educated work force, competitive costs of doing business and a great location that make it attractive to many companies.

Economic development goals for 2005

* Open Frederick's first technology incubator, the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc.

* Inventory and prioritize the available commercial and industrial land sites in Frederick County.

* Continue to support the development of the county's one-stop review and permitting center.

* Establish an Economic Development Revenue Authority.

* Educate the public on the role that economic development plays in the community.

Laurie Boyer, Director of Operations

Frederick County Office of

Economic Development

Montgomery County

With more jobs and more businesses than anywhere in the state, Montgomery County has become the economic engine of Maryland. With a diverse and dynamic business climate, Montgomery County is nationally renowned as a center for the biotechnology, information technology, arts and entertainment, and telecommunications sectors.

With the nation's most educated work force - more adults with college and advanced degrees per capita than anywhere else in the United States, according to the 2003 Census Bureau reports - Montgomery County has the talent pool businesses need to thrive.

In addition, the county has instituted many green-tape initiatives and created several investment funds that have helped make Montgomery County the ideal location for businesses of all sizes.

Economic development goals for 2005

* Continue attracting high-paying, high-quality jobs to the county.

* Retain and assist local companies as they grow and expand.

* Maintain the momentum and continue growing the technology, telecommunications and government contracting sectors.

* Make the key strategic investments in infrastructure now that will facilitate growth in the future.

* Expand the tax base so Montgomery County residents will continue to enjoy the variety and high quality of services they have come to expect.

David W. Edgerley, Director

Montgomery County Department of Economic Development

Prince George's County

Prince George's County has available sites for industrial, commercial, retail and housing development, as well as an excellent transportation system with major interstates that provide access to locations throughout the region and to major airports. It also has many existing Metro sites and two new stations that will open before year's end. Prince George's offers numerous creative financing programs to assist businesses looking to relocate in the county or those already there that wish to expand.

Economic development goals for 2005

* The county has initiated a Visit 200 Program, which focuses on retaining major employers within the county, resolving issues they may have and assisting with work force-related issues.

* The Small Business Initiative focuses on expanding companies with revenues of $500,000 or more that are seeking financing and contracting opportunities at the local, state and federal levels.

* Prince George's County has initiated a focus on retailers at all price points, with a particular emphasis on fashion retail.

* The county has a vibrant international trade initiative that includes an expansion of its international trade zone, and it is creating stronger links with the Port of Baltimore and major companies seeking to do business in the trade zone.

* Transit-oriented development is a major priority of the county. It is seeking developers for major Metro sites and a greater intensity of office and retail development to maximize potential value.

Kwasi Holman, President and CEO

Prince George's Economic

Development Corp.

Copyright 2004 Dolan Media Newswires
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.