The Prince George’s County Council has directed the M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Department to develop and execute a Branding, Wayfinding, and Street Beautification Study along a 2.5-mile portion of Marlboro Pike, east of the Capitol Beltway to Weber Drive (Subregion 4, Planning Area 75A, Councilmanic Districts 6 and 7).
Marlboro Pike originated as the Washington-Marlboro Turnpike, linking the County seat of Upper Marlboro with the District of Columbia, and grew significantly from the 1930s through to the 1950s. Automobiles allowed people to move farther from Washington, D.C., without having to rely on street cars and trolleys, and a demand for houses provided a market for suburban growth. In 1939, the area’s first shopping center was built at Coral Hills. Nearby major federal institutions, including the Census Bureau complex and Joint Base Andrews, further increased market demand for housing. The number of residents grew by 150 percent in the 1940s and doubled again in the 1950s. In the 1960s, Pennsylvania Avenue was extended from central Washington, D.C. to Upper Marlboro and beyond, effectively creating a bypass of the communities along Marlboro Pike. This was the start of a fundamental change in the character of the Pike, as it was no longer a main thoroughfare. Most traffic was rerouted, and the Pike lost the economic benefits of through traffic. The continuing availability of vacant land and the construction of the Capital Beltway contributed to the decline. Over the years, areas of disinvestment have led to deteriorated and, what many residents perceive to be unsafe conditions. Many of the surrounding communities appear to have disassociated themselves from the Pike.
Local efforts are underway to revitalize the Pike. The Marlboro Pike Partnership CDC (MPP), formed in 2020, seeks revitalization ideas to spur investment and to expand economic opportunity and safety for all residents and businesses along the Pike, as well as façade improvement and rebranding ideas to make it an attractive destination. Previous and current MPP revitalization efforts include application for ULI/COG TAP and ongoing meetings with County agencies and partners to address quality-of-life issues in this area. In addition, via the M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Department’s Planning Assistance to Municipalities and Communities Program, the Prince George’s County Planning Board funded a market feasibility assessment for the Pike from Brooks Drive (5300 block) to Forestville Road (7600 block), north along Ritchie Road to Darcy Road, approximately three miles. This project, which kicked off in February 2024 and is expected to be completed in December, will analyze, interpret, and understand the current market and economic conditions of the study area; develop a report that details the capacity of the study area for economic growth; and provide recommendations to improve upon and advance the interests of the Marlboro Pike community based on an assessment of feasibility.
The goal of these planning efforts will be to reposition Marlboro Pike as a market-competitive, regional destination and mixed-use investment opportunity and create a new image of the area in the minds of residents, visitors, property owners, and developers that is appropriate for a regional destination. The project has three major tasks:
- Develop a brand for this section of the Pike that includes a name, logo and signage concepts that will be used for wayfinding. The brand will identify the Pike as a unique and special place.
- Develop a strategic wayfinding system to be deployed along the study area of the Pike that will use the brand consistently in design, terminology, and placement to connect destinations and integrate transportation options. The system shall include the development of directional signs and the identification of their potential locations.
- Develop street beautification concepts with renderings to enhance the streetscape’s visual appearance and how it will be experienced by users.
