County and city officials outline timelines for parks, trail and stormwater projects affecting College Park

County and city officials used a College Park town hall to outline several infrastructure projects they said will affect neighborhoods in and near the city, offering rough timelines and funding figures.

"The North College Park Community Center... all told, gonna be a $26,000,000 project," County Councilmember Eric Olsen said, adding that procurement is underway. "I think the projection is it'll be completed in FY '28."

The projects and status discussed

- North College Park Community Center: Olsen said the county is moving to procurement on a $26 million project with construction expected to extend into fiscal 2028. - Beltsville Community Center: Olsen said the county included a $20 million rebuild in the multi-year budget, with funding phased across the next five years following a completed feasibility study. - Calvert Hills stormwater project: Danoga said design work has been completed and the project has been budgeted at about $27 million; the county is seeking a contractor to carry the work through construction. - Buck Lodge Trail repaving: Olsen said the Buck Lodge Trail will be repaved this spring once asphalt plants reopen. - Rhode Island Avenue upgrade: Danoga said funding from the Department of Public Works will allow a mid-May start on upgrades including an 8-foot shared-use path on the west side and continuation north to Route 1; a community meeting on the schematic was expected before construction. - Wells Lisonbee Complex (ice rink and splash park): Olsen said significant funding is budgeted in future years for an extensive renovation or replacement of the aging complex.

Why it matters: These projects address recreation, stormwater flooding, trail connectivity and pedestrian/bike safety — issues residents raised at the meeting. Several speakers linked county capital spending to quality-of-life concerns in College Park neighborhoods.

Comments and concerns raised at the forum

Councilmembers described both long timelines and sustained commitment. Danoga acknowledged the Calvert Hills stormwater work has a multi-decade history and said it had been re-bid a number of times. "We do have $27,000,000 in the budget for that," he said.

Olsen added that the county hopes to improve east–west trail connections in the region and highlighted a feasibility study the city supported for a possible east–west trail linking several local trails.

What was not specified

Speakers provided project-level budgets and general schedules but did not provide final contracts, contractor names or precise construction start and completion dates for all projects. Several items remain at the procurement or feasibility stage and depend on subsequent contracting and county procurement steps.

Next steps

County representatives said public meetings and procurement steps will follow and urged residents to attend community meetings to review schematic plans and timelines. Danoga and Olsen said their offices will publish details and hold town halls as projects move into procurement and construction phases.