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County executive outlines Blue Line Corridor vision and $400M state funding priorities
Summary
Deputy CAO and economic development staff presented a prioritized list of shovel‑ready Blue Line Corridor projects — Morgan Boulevard sports/innovation hub, Park Place at Addison Road, Pavilion at Locksford, Downtown Largo amphitheater and others — intended to use $400 million in state corridor funds to catalyze transit‑oriented redevelopment.
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Tracy Benjamin told the council on March 17 that the county executive’s Blue Line Corridor initiative will focus state corridor funds on projects that are shovel‑ready or near entitlement so the county can capture available funding and accelerate transit‑oriented redevelopment along Central Avenue from Capitol Heights to Largo Town Center.
Benjamin and the economic development team described priority projects at Morgan Boulevard — including a proposed Board of Education headquarters, a Sports Technology and Innovation Center and a market hall — and identified other projects that staff say are positioned for near‑term implementation: Park Place at Addison Road (mixed‑use, workforce units), Pavilion at Locksford (large mixed‑use development), Capitol Heights Metro redevelopment, 210 At The Park (mixed‑income housing), and a proposed Downtown Largo amphitheater. Presenters said state requests range from small grants to large site acquisition asks (presenters cited figures including $108 million for Morgan Boulevard site acquisition and construction and $102 million for the amphitheater) and stressed that the prioritization emphasized projects that will not 'sit' if funds are available.
“Because the state funds will not sit there forever and competing jurisdictions will press for them, we prioritized projects with cranes in the sky, entitlements, or sites ready for rapid action,” Benjamin told the council. Staff presented estimates of economic impact, job creation, and housing units tied to the package and said the county will use permit‑expediting tools, a permit rapid response team, and frequent coordination with the planning department and Park and Planning leadership to meet timelines.
Council members asked about geographic balance among council districts, stormwater costs near Metro stations, and opportunities for local investor participation. Officials said the prioritized list was chosen primarily to ensure the county could move quickly to spend state corridor dollars where possible; they offered to provide district‑level breakouts and said additional community engagement and transparency tools (project website, outreach) are planned.
Council members sought assurances that the county would use community benefits agreements, workforce and equity provisions, and clear public communications. Economic development staff said they are coordinating with council offices on community benefit expectations and will return with additional detail on timelines, funding breakdowns and how projects intersect with county entitlement and zoning efforts.
The presentation concluded with staff offering further briefings to individual council members and undertaking follow‑up on requested district allocations and implementation timelines.
