Features

New homes to be built amidst historic Forest Glen Seminary

by Lisa Mackie

After several years of seeking a viable plan to renovate the historic National Park Seminary site located in Forest Glen, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan announced the selection last December of the proposal presented by the team of the Alexander Company and Eakin/Youngentob (EYA). The proposal is for a residential development with a mix of historic renovation, new construction, single-family home ownership, multi-family ownership housing, and rental homes.

Lisa Rother, a Community Planning and Development Specialist for Montgomery County, says the proposal was chosen from among eight groups who were interviewed "with plans ranging from a longevity center to mixed use with a hotel, to a senior center."

The request for proposals was issued in May 2003. The eight groups were interviewed by a committee composed of governmental, historic, and citizen representatives. Much earlier proposals to use the site for educational purposes were not considered.

The Alexander Company specializes in restoration projects, while EYA is "exclusively an infill builder," according to Matt Birenbaum, a spokesperson for Eakin/Youngentob. EYA is also working in the area on plans for the Takoma Metro site development.

Though the Seminary project is still evolving, Birenbaum says, "our current plan is a combination of rental apartments and for-sale condos." He adds that the townhomes are designed to be sympathetic to the historic feel of the existing buildings.

Rother says the proposal was chosen because "it was felt to be compatible with the neighborhood and the team has a good track record."

The site, which has been excessed by the Army, includes 29 buildings, 25 of which are historic and among the county's most distinctive. Among Seminary's winding, wooded streets are a Japanese pagoda, a Spanish-style villa, and various sculptures and figures. Most of the historic buildings will be preserved in the redevelopment. Four non-historic cinder-block buildings will be removed and "probably half of the villa will not be able to be saved, because of significant deterioration," according to Rother. Buildings such as the pagoda and the railroad-era hotel will be renovated.

There will be approximately 255 dwelling units when the project is completed. The plan includes incorporation of Carroll House, transitional housing that is currently on the site. EYA will be constructing approximately 90 new homes as infill to support the historic renovation. The cost of the project is estimated to be about $80 million, to be funded by a combination of conventional financing with historic preservation and housing tax credits.

Meetings with community groups are just starting, according to Birenbaum, and heading the list of topics is the ballroom, which will be available for public use. In the meeting scheduled for this month, the developers will be discussing the ballroom, the plan in general, and pedestrian connections with the neighborhood, as well as trying to enlist the support of the community.

The development team is currently working on an application to be submitted to Montgomery County in July. Once the site is re-zoned, it will be conveyed to the developer.

Rother says that Save Our Seminary, a non-profit organization dedicated to preservation of the site, is supportive of the plan.

"We're excited," said Birenbaum. "we're making progress."

Tours of the site will be given June 24 and 26. Visit saveourseminary.org for more information.