Laurel Today - (Page 9) G F R P G’ Nearly three decades a er Kingdon Gould Jr. purchased the Laurel Sand and Gravel property, he’ll see his sons, Kingdon III and Caleb, realize his vision of building a vibrant urban center at the 488-acre site. Konterra a commercial and residential center with an open-air promenade, parks and trails will be Prince George’s County’s own bustling town center. It will provide a landmark focus much like neighboring Columbia and Reston, but with an enhanced blend of shopping, dining, residential, o ce, hotel and green space uses. “Konterra was conceived to be a comprehensivelydesigned new town,” said Caleb Gould, who along with Kingdon III and seven other siblings, grew up on the outskirts of Laurel. “ is is something that people have wanted to see since we acquired the property. It will be my father’s legacy.” In 2005, the Gould Property Company partnered with Forest City Washington, an award-winning national real estate developer that specializes in mixed-use projects, to build the rst phase of Konterra. at planned rst phase is projected to open in 2012. e Goulds are well-known and respected in the Washington metropolitan area where the family has an impressive history of developing properties. Kingdon Gould Jr. was one of the pioneer developers in remaking Rosslyn back when part of the property was used as a fuel tank depot on the banks of the Potomac River. Since then, the Goulds have accomplished several significant projects throughout the D.C. metro area. In Crystal City, they developed the Airport Hya Regency, the Airport Plaza and e Concord apartments. In Penn Quarter, along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., they built the Market Square North o ce building and two high-rise apartment towers, e Lexington I and II. Kingdon Gould III said the best practices of these sophisticated projects will be implemented in the design and construction of Konterra. “ e more things you bring together the be er,” Gould said of the plans for Konterra. “If you’re just trying to make it a shopping district, it won’t work. e key is to have people live and work there and blend in cultural and recreational uses. at’s what makes it work.” Fourth Article – Quotes from media and area leaders Several streets and roads near Konterra in the northern tier of Prince George’s County will be revitalized. e upgrades will range from widening and extending these major thoroughfares Old Gunpowder Road, Contee Road and Kenilworth Avenue to improving several intersections north of Powder Mill Road. At Konterra’s front door will be the new Contee Road interchange, which will help relieve regional tra c congestion. e developers plan for shu le buses that feed into the regional inter-county bus services and the MARC commuter rail service. “Embracing smart growth principles is essential to the success of the town center,” said Caleb Gould, vice president of Konterra. “It is important to the environment. And it’s important to the community because smart growth is minimizing the infrastructure and land used while maximizing development.” Sandra Aulton, Victoria Falls resident, 2 years
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