This new building, replacing an old city hall, plays a key role in College Park’s downtown revitalization. It’s the first ever joint space for both a city hall and for university offices, the team says. Some 200 University of Maryland employees now work on the third and fourth floors, where there are modern conferencing facilities and an open floor plan flooded by natural light. City workers and a new city council chambers—fully equipped to stream meetings and other events—are on the building’s first and second floors.

Beyond the college and the government, the local community benefits from 7,000 sq ft of retail space on the ground floor and a new public plaza, around which the building is organized.

That plaza and the building both have a bioretention system for stormwater management. Pairing water treatment with sustainable energy features, the project is expected to achieve a LEED Gold certification.

To coordinate the project’s several room types and floor plans, the team held daily huddles, regular planning sessions and weekly subcontractor and owner meetings. That extensive preparation paid off as subs worked together to share space and get all their work done on time, the team says. Completed in 28 months, the overall $47-million project was completed on budget and on schedule. The team says the project will “anchor development” and “help the city immerse itself within the community.”