Metro To Use Amazon Housing Equity Fund To Build 748 Homes Near Stations

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Close to 750 residential units will be built near New Carrollton and College Park Metro stations, which will offer modern, transit-oriented housing at below-market rates. The two initiatives are Metro’s first affordable housing developments to receive support from the more than $2 billion Amazon Housing Equity Fund.

In June 2021, Amazon made a $125 million commitment to support transit-oriented affordable housing development at Metro stations through low-rate capital to expedite the creation of more than 1,000 affordable homes so that moderate- to low-income families in the National Capital Region can afford to live in communities with easy access to employment, schools, healthcare, education and other amenities.

The 291-unit residential development at New Carrollton, called The Margaux, is part of a larger 2.3 million square foot, mixed-use joint development partnership between Metro and Urban Atlantic, a mission-driven and female-led real estate development firm. This is the fifth project to be announced at the site, which also includes office space, retail, additional housing and Metro’s new Maryland Office Building, all anchored by a multi-modal transportation hub.

New Carrollton offers convenient access to Metrorail, Metrobus, Amtrak, Maryland Area Regional Commuter Train Service, Prince George’s County TheBus and the future Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration’s Purple Line. Amazon is providing $25.4 million in low-rate financing to Urban Atlantic to begin construction.

In College Park, Gilbane Development Company is developing Atworth College Park, a residential building with ground-level retail and 451-affordable homes, reserved for tenants with incomes at or below 80 percent of AMI, near the University of Maryland’s College Park campus and adjacent to the Discovery District. College Park offers convenient access to Metrorail, Metrobus, TheBuS, MARC and a future MDOT Purple Line station. Amazon is providing $56.3 million in low-rate financing to Gilbane Development Company to begin construction.

The level of affordability offered by The Margaux and Atworth College Park will be guaranteed for the duration of the property’s ground leases, 98 years, giving families much-needed financial certainty to build lives and careers near the conveniences of transit while reducing the need for and expense of car ownership. As rents in the area rise, these units will maintain their level of affordability. Both properties are expected to be completed by late 2023.

“The projects underway at New Carrollton and College Park are transforming vacant land and parking lots into vibrant mixed-use commercial and residential destinations generating more riders and revenue for Metro, as well as new residents, businesses, and tax revenue for our local and state partners,” Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said. “Thanks to Metro’s nation-leading joint development initiatives and Amazon’s commitment to affordable housing, the future is bright for smart growth near Metro and other transit options in Prince George’s County and throughout the entire region we serve.”

Units at The Margaux and Atworth College Park will be affordable for individuals and families in the workforce making less than 80 percent of Area Median Income. Examples of these types of earners are often teachers, law enforcement, emergency response workers, hourly employees and others. These are residents who play a crucial role in the community, yet don’t qualify for subsidies and whose wages haven’t kept pace with escalating rents.

“The Amazon Housing Equity Fund is addressing the affordable housing crisis on multiple fronts and through innovative solutions, such as teaming up with Metro, which brings people closer to more opportunities, services, and a better quality of life,” Catherine Buell, director of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, said. “We know that our investment in this region brings many economic opportunities for the people who live here, but we also acknowledge that this growth needs to benefit everyone in the community. The progress we have made so far with the Amazon Housing Equity Fund is promising, but we have more to do.”