Transity Authority Taps Hines to Lead DC Master Development

Hines is ready to get to work on a significant transit-oriented project roughly a dozen miles outside of Washington, D.C.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority picked the Houston-based company to serve as master developer of the 14-acre site at the local metro station, the Washington Business Journal reported. The land is one of the largest contiguous development sites in the county.

The development is expected to span as much as 2.5 million square feet on vacant land. Conceptual renderings showed as many as seven buildings for the development, as well as a new entrance for the Metro station.

Metro and Hines still need to negotiate a formal joint agreement, a process expected to unfold over the coming months. Five other developers responded to a request for qualifications released in the fall.

The development will be anchored the University of Maryland’s Institute for Health Computing, a life sciences branch focused on applying artificial intelligence to medicine and health care. The conceptual site plan calls for three buildings dedicated to the sector and IHC could occupy roughly 300,000 square feet, county officials previously told the Business Journal.

Another four buildings would include multifamily housing on top of retail spaces. A potential total number of housing units wasn’t disclosed, but the buildings will be eligible for a 15-year tax abatement if Hines designates at least 15 percent of units for affordable housing, including a quarter of those units for those earning a maximum of 50 percent of the area median income.

The state is set to contribute $33 million towards the IHC and improvements for the Metro station. Montgomery County approved a $48 million contribution, which includes $8 million in capital funding for site work.

Hines has previously participated in public-private partnerships in the market, including CityCenterDC and the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

— Holden Walter-Warner