SilverPlace Project History

• Public Charrette/Community Design Workshop (June 3-7, 2008)
  This five-day workshop will provide the opportunity for the public to participate directly in the facility planning and design for SilverPlace. All design workshops and public charrette meetings will be held at:
• Development Services Agreement and Notice to Proceed (April 28)
  The Planning Board approved the Development Services Agreement and the notice to proceed for the next phase of the Silver Place project.
• County Council Design Appropriation (March 18, 2008)
  The County Council voted unanimously (with one absentee) to appropriate $1.386 million to fund interactive design workshops and community outreach activities as well as developing a detailed development plan and cost estimates. M-NCPPC later will seek funding to complete the design and construction of the public portion of the project.
• County Council Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) Committee (February 2008)
  On February 11 and 25, M-NCPPC staff appeared before the County Council’s PHED committee in work sessions to present the agency’s request for funds to support the proposed SilverPlace development. The committee approved our amended request for $1.4 million for fund community design workshops and produce a development plan and budget. The full Council is expected to act on the request on March 18.
• County Council Public Hearing on Request for Funding (January 22)
  M-NCPPC seeks public funding for the initial design phase of the project, which will include an interactive design workshop with the community, public meetings, development plans, site surveys, environmental and traffic studies, and the schematic design. The Montgomery County Council held a public hearing on January 22 to discuss the funding request. The design phase of the project could take up to 10 months.
• Status Report to the Planning Board (January 10, 2008)
  Staff briefed the Planning Board during its regularly scheduled roundtable about the status of the SilverPlace project. The report addressed the status of the non-binding agreement between the developer and the Commission, activities related to the request for a County Council appropriation to fund the initial design (including a series of community meetings, or charrettes focused on design), the status of the analysis of space needs for the proposed new headquarters and information about financing through the county Revenue Authority.During an executive session that followed, staff briefed the board on financing alternatives and the acquisition of additional property.
• Planning Board Discussed M-NCPPC headquarters space needs (November 29, 2007)
  As part of the Montgomery County Planning Board’s weekly roundtable session, staff briefed the board on an analysis of space needs for the proposed new headquarters for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Montgomery County staff. Called the “program of requirements,” the assessment provides an overview of how much office space the agency needs and how the interior of the new building may be configured.  In addition to estimating total square footage, the analysis also reviews the layout and potential functionality of the space.
• Adoption/Ratification of a Non-Binding Agreement (November 2007)
  On November 8, the Planning Board approved an agreement, formally known as a memorandum of understanding, that spells out the roles and responsibilities of both the Commission and the private development team SilverPlace, LLC. View the agreement's exhibits (pdf, 53MB), which includes the response to the Commission's request for proposals.
  Review the original request for qualifications (pdf, 15.5MB) | Read our press release
  The board also approved staff's plan to request a supplemental appropriation to fund initial project costs. Read the staff's proposal for funding the design phase.
• Planning Board Executive Session (October 2007)
  The board continued to negotiate with the prospective development team to discuss the SilverPlace Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will clarify the expectations and responsibilities of the public and private entities.
  Read October 18th message from project manager Mike Riley.
• Planning Board Executive Session (September 2007)
  Negotiations between the Planning Board and the prospective development team on a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to clarify roles and responsibilities. Read message from Chairman Hanson.
• SilverPlace Community Meeting (July 2007)
• Planning Board Executive Session (July 2007)
  The board reviewed the first draft of a Memorandum of Understanding with SilverPlace, LLC in closed session
• Planning Board Roundtable Discussion (May 2007)
  Staff presented ideas for space requirements for planned new park and planning headquarters
• Woodside Park Civic Association Meeting (March 2007)
• January 2007: Planning Board approves the recmomendations of a multi-agency evaluation committee to choose a development partner: SilverPlace, LLC (Bozzuto, Spaulding and Slye Investments, and Harrison Development).
• 2005: M-NCPPC issues a request for qualifications (RFQ) for SilverPlace. A multi-agency evaluation committee chooses three of seven development teams that responded as worthy of further consideration. M-NCPPC issues a request for proposals (RFP) to the three finalist teams in June 2006.
• 2004: The County Council appropriates $850,000 in the Capital Budget to fund planning studies and the developer selection process.
• 2003: Commission approves the "Consolidated Headquarters Study," which justifies the need for the new headquarters. The study determined that 30% affordable/ workforce housing would be required and a public/private partnership allowing mixed-use development of the MRO site was teh best way to meet the agency's multiple goals.

Date of last update: May 31, 2008