[RP TownTalk] TownTalk Digest, Vol 14, Issue 22

[Bill Carr]

-----Original Message-----
> From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
> [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Dwight Holmes
> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 10:17 PM
> To: TownTalk
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] FW: Birchmere To Open New Music Hall in College
> Park (fwd)
>
> This is awesome news!  (Not that it replaces the Surf Club -- somehow I
> don't see them pulling in Zydeco bands at the Birchmere.
> Nonetheless, it's a helluva lot easier to get to than North Alexandria!
> (and when the Trolley Line Hiker-Biker Trail is finished.... :-) )
>
> On 9/25/07, Nancy Augustine <nya_md at verizon.net> wrote:
>   
>> YIPPEEE!!!!
>>
>> This takes some of the sting out of losing the Surf Club.
>>
>>
>> -----------------------
>> Birchmere To Open New Music Hall in College Park State of the Art 
>> Venue to Come to East Campus Redevelopment Project
>>
>>
>> COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The world-renowned Birchmere today announced plans 
>> to open a 500 seat, state-of-the art music venue in College Park, 
>> Maryland - part of a major redevelopment project being carried out by 
>> the University of Maryland and Foulger-Pratt/Argo. FP/Argo developed 
>> the nationally recognized Downtown Silver Spring project.
>> Under the deal, the Birchmere - which attracts such diverse acts as 
>> Herbie Hancock, Lyle Lovett and Arturo Sandoval - would also build and 
>> operate a stage for up-and-coming singer-songwriters in the Washington,
>>     
> D.C.
>   
>> Metropolitan area, partnering with the University of Maryland 's 
>> School of Music and others helping to develop and nurture the stars of
>>     
> tomorrow.
>   
>> "We're very excited about opening a venue in suburban Maryland, and 
>> couldn't ask for better partners and a more ideal location," said the 
>> Birchmere's founder Gary Oelze. "We are very excited to have such a 
>> major player in the local music scene join us in creating a 
>> world-class, mixed-use center in College Park," added Richard Perlmutter
>>     
> of Argo Investment Company.
>   
>> For nearly forty years, the Birchmere has operated a live music venue 
>> in Alexandria , Virginia , where it has earned a reputation as one of 
>> the premiere venues in America. "In music circles, the reputation of 
>> the Birchmere is legendary. Many careers have been launched from this 
>> internationally recognized music hall. The Birchmere is committed to 
>> the presentation of the highest quality and most diverse music 
>> possible in a comfortable and intimate atmosphere," says the Birchmere's
>>     
> Gary Oelze.
>   
>> "Our goal with the East Campus development is to give the community 
>> more entertainment, retail and restaurant options, and the Birchmere 
>> will be a key part in this effort," said Douglas M. Duncan, University 
>> of Maryland vice president for administrative affairs. "The 
>> opportunities for creative collaboration with the university and our 
>> students are limitless and we couldn't be more excited about this."
>>
>> An artist's rendition of what the East Campus Development might look 
>> like in College Park.
>> "The Birchmere is an exciting opportunity and I look forward to 
>> working with the university, the city, and community on this project," 
>> said County Councilman Eric Olson, who represents the College Park area.
>>
>> The Birchmere will be part of a major mixed-use development of 2.6 
>> million square feet on the East Campus of the University of Maryland, 
>> which will include retail, residential, hotel, and office space. 
>> "Having the Birchmere as a key anchor is just what we have been 
>> looking for to kick off this effort," said Bryant Foulger of the
>>     
> Foulger-Pratt Companies.
>   
>> About the University of Maryland
>> >From its pre-Civil War roots as Maryland's first agricultural college 
>>     
>>> and
>>>       
>> one of America's original land grant institutions, the University of 
>> Maryland today is the flagship campus of the University System of 
>> Maryland and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities.
>>     
> Ranked No.
>   
>> 18 by U.S. News & World Report, it also has 31 academic programs in 
>> the Top 10 and 92 in the Top 25. The current faculty includes three 
>> Nobel Laureates, six Pulitzer Prize winners, 40 members of the 
>> National Academies of Science, and scores of Fulbright scholars. 
>> Maryland is committed to excellence as the state's premier center of 
>> research and graduate education and the institution of choice for 
>> undergraduate students of exceptional ability and promise. For more 
>> information about the University of Maryland, visit www.umd.edu.
>>
>> About Foulger-Pratt
>> Established in 1963, Foulger-Pratt is one of the Washington region's 
>> most experienced and diverse real estate firms. The award-winning 
>> organization offers development, construction, asset management, and 
>> property management services. Foulger-Pratt is headquartered in 
>> Rockville , MD. For more information, visit: www.foulgerpratt.com.
>> About Argo
>> Established in 1996, Argo has completed over 2 million square feet of 
>> residential, office, retail, and civic facilities throughout the 
>> Washington , DC area. The firm is headquartered in Rockville , MD. For 
>> more information
>> visit: www.argoinvestment.com.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> TownTalk mailing list
>> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org 
>> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription 
>> processing only http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>>
>> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit 
>> http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
>>
>>     
I'm assuming this is locked in. The Birchmere had been slated to open in 
Silver Spring, but politics apparently intervened. So, what looked like 
a good thing missed became a better thing attained. How cool. (Town 
development advocates might check out the history of the Silver Spring 
effort.)