Former Army Conclave to Become $80M Housing Compound

FOREST GLEN, MD-Redevelopment of the National Park Seminary Historic District site–a 32-acre parcel excised by the US Army as excess property, and to be conveyed to Montgomery County by the US General Services Administration–has become more of a tangible notion for area residents now that a development team has been put in place. Montgomery County executive Douglas M. Duncan has chosen for the redevelopment of the property a residential proposal submitted Alexander-Eakin/Youngentob, a team consisting of construction management and development firm the Alexander Co. and homebuilder Eakin/Youngentob. The project will yield 255 residences, and is expected to cost an estimated $80 million to realize. Historic preservation and housing tax credits will fund much of the endeavor.

As it currently stands, the seminary property holds 29 structures, 25 of which are historic buildings. The first structure, a hotel called Ye Forest Inne, was built in 1887. A one-time finishing school for young women, the parcel features a broad variety of architectural styles including a Swiss chalet, a Japanese pagoda, an Italian villa and an English castle. Under the Alexander-Eakin/Youngentob plan, the site will become home to 85 mixed-income rental units, 81 historic saleable units, and 90 new single-family homes.

Alexander-Eakin/Youngentob competed with eight other teams for the acceptance of its proposal for reuse for the property. “The Alexander Co. was chosen for its extensive experience and national recognition,” Dunclan explains of his decision. “They have applied creative solutions to the development, design, construction, and management of historic and new buildings.” A completion date for the project has not yet been released.