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Mayor Kabir delivers State of the City, highlights infrastructure projects, business grants and new services
Summary
Mayor Fazil Kabir presented the city's 2024 achievements and plans for 2025, noting Route 1 improvements, new business openings, grant awards to local businesses and nonprofits, environmental programs and capital projects including Dual Field.
Mayor Fazil Kabir delivered the 2025 State of the City address at the April 1 College Park City Council meeting, summarizing projects completed in 2024 and outlining priorities for 2025.
In his remarks Kabir listed completed and ongoing infrastructure and community projects, including Phase 1 of the Route 1 rebuild and the start of construction at Dual Field (a major recreational facility). He said the city has awarded grants to businesses and nonprofits ("Last year the City awarded 68 businesses and non profits about $2,600,000 in grants"), and noted more than $1,000,000 in additional community grant awards over the past year for playground renovations, bike lanes, murals, small-business relief and streetlight LED retrofits.
The mayor highlighted efforts on housing and neighborhood preservation, new sidewalks, curbside food-scrap collection (458 participating homes) and other sustainability measures including an urban food forest and a new battery-powered green-space contractor. He noted the city's fund balance and financial health: "As of 06/30/2024, the fund balance was $10,840,000 representing 47% of budgeted expenditures." Kabir also called out business growth: 12 new businesses opened in 2024, and the city estimates those and forthcoming openings will bring hundreds of jobs.
The mayor mentioned public-safety and service metrics including enhanced enforcement and almost 400 calls for animal-related services and described new resident outreach tools such as text messaging alerts and a redesigned website with a chatbot.
Why it matters: The State of the City message provides a municipal accounting of completed projects, funding allocations and priorities that will shape budgeting and council decisions in 2025, including capital projects, sustainability initiatives and economic development.
Next steps: Mayor Kabir invited residents to upcoming events and asked the public to fill out a planned community survey in September; he reaffirmed continued collaboration with the University of Maryland, Prince George's County, and state partners for capital projects and initiatives.
