RealGM

I'm not sure if everyone is familiar with the National Harbor project in Prince George County Maryland off of the water of Potomac right by D.C. www.nationalharbor.com

Well apparently this is going to be the biggest convention center project ever built on the east coast. The reason I bring this up here is because I know we have some of the most insightful and knowledgeable people of all forums on the Internet. And while I don't post much, I read often.

So on with the topic, what is the consensus on the National Harbor project from everyone? Personally, I still have mixed feelings on the projects in terms of its economical implication. I do believe it

Honestly, this is the first I've heard of it. What will this have exactly? I'm still confused about that. Is it going to be a shopping mall, restaurants, etc? Just by your post, it reminds me a lot of Columbia Heights which is in a huge economic boom right now with a mall opening up later this year.

Its a hotel/convention center i believe in Potomac{PG county]

Good post Don. FYI, i'll be the equivalent of the Baltimore Harbor but supposedly bigger. I have tempered excitement about what it could mean for the county. I've been in PG county for most of my life, save for about 7 years in DC. And, as you know, we've been pining for something like this for the county for over a decade, almost 2. I'm sure it will be a boon for businesses in the area to an extent, but i'm on wait and see mode until it happens because it's just as close to Viginia.

That being said, your investment should be a good one in Capitol Heights. The Gaylord is definitely going to be an expensive deal. I stayed at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas and it was lavish to say the least. But I think alot of the revenue will come from those in and around DC initially. I live 5 miles from the site and i'll be there on the regular once it opens. There's gonna be some very nice restaraunts. shopping and nite life, not to mention it's on the water.

I don't see how it wouldn't do PG county nice in terms of revenue to the county.

Hi guys. I can tell you all about National Harbor as I was there on Wednesday. One of my clients is exploring opening a restaurant there.

But it'll have to wait. I became a dad today. I can't begin to express my joy and gratitude. But I need to get some sleep so I can go take care of the Mrs. tomorrow.

Go Wiz.

fishercob wrote:Hi guys. I can tell you all about National Harbor as I was there on Wednesday. One of my clients is exploring opening a restaurant there.

But it'll have to wait. I became a dad today. I can't begin to express my joy and gratitude. But I need to get some sleep so I can go take care of the Mrs. tomorrow.

Go Wiz.

Congratulations!

fishercob wrote:Hi guys. I can tell you all about National Harbor as I was there on Wednesday. One of my clients is exploring opening a restaurant there.

But it'll have to wait. I became a dad today. I can't begin to express my joy and gratitude. But I need to get some sleep so I can go take care of the Mrs. tomorrow.

Go Wiz.

Congrats! Enjoy fatherhood... get some sleep whenever you can.

Rafael122 wrote:Honestly, this is the first I've heard of it. What will this have exactly? I'm still confused about that. Is it going to be a shopping mall, restaurants, etc? Just by your post, it reminds me a lot of Columbia Heights which is in a huge economic boom right now with a mall opening up later this year.

Meh... I live 2 blocks from the mini-mall they're putting in here in Columbia Heights. This is not Pentagon City. It's a Target with a Best Buy and then some ground-level space for 10-15 smaller stores. By and large, the economic boom has already hit this neighborhood long before Target will open. I actually think it was the Metro arriving in 1999 (green line) and then huge Giant they put in about 3 years ago which suddenly made this neighborhood much more attractive for people to be locals.

This National Harbor... I've seen it from the river. It's a HUGE construction site. My question is this: how many jobs, how many will be local.

The developers of the National Harbor bought the awakening statue at Hains Points and are moving it to the National Harbor site.

I hope you won't rely on what anyone tells you here before you decide to sink cash into a investment. But for my own interest, have you looked into how big the convention space is at the National Harbor, re, are they going to be hosting major associations/shows? What is the convention center capacity and how many hotel rooms will be there? I can tell you that $200 is not that expensive for a hotel room. Does the convention center have things lined up?

there's some guys with real estate experience who will probably weigh in here. You would think that areas like Fort Washington will see a rise in residential real estate values with the Harbor. PG County hasn't experienced the growth of the other surrounding suburban counties...at least I don't think so.

I can tell you that btwn this, the new convention center, the new baseball stadium, the verizon center, and all the other projects that the city and surrounding areas has undergone over the last 15 years, the city has certainly transformed itself. You gotta think we'll have a real chance at an Olympics in the next 20 years, with a new Redskins stadium on the old RFK site serving as the centerpiece.

btw, congrats fischercob!!

hate to be a negative ninny, but i just don't see pg county as ever being a particularly attractive destination location for industries looking to hold tradeshows/conferences. there's a perfectly functional convention center in downtown dc, which i would think would be option A for most assns looking at the dc area to hold an event.

National Harbor will likely have a pretty good market niche with smaller shows that want everything together. In DC they need more rooms in the immediate area of the new convention center (I don't think they need the dedicated "convention hotel" subsidized by the govt.--the solution they've come up with for Marriott to build a big new hotel in the area should work fine).

National Harbor is going to have ferries going to Old Town for people to hang out there. I think there will be jobs for PG, but not much impact on businesses outside the center. It will provide some more high-end dining and retail options for people who live in that part of PG and Northern Charles Co.

I don't have much to say re what this might evolve into but what
I can say is that for 2 years when I was fairly young (10-12) our
family lived not that far from there and I used to walk down along
the banks of the river. At that time the river was REALLY NASTY,
a cesspool. After moving to Herndon in 1968, our family continued
to rent the house we had lived in in "Indian Queen Estates" in what
was then called Oxon Hill. It's just a little ways south of NH
area. We finally sold the house sometime in the late 1990s.
Too bad we didn't keep it another 4-5 years <sigh>. oh well.

this project has been discussed/planned for decades; it's almost
surprising to me that it's finally happened/ing.

Wiz99 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Meh... I live 2 blocks from the mini-mall they're putting in here in Columbia Heights. This is not Pentagon City. It's a Target with a Best Buy and then some ground-level space for 10-15 smaller stores. By and large, the economic boom has already hit this neighborhood long before Target will open. I actually think it was the Metro arriving in 1999 (green line) and then huge Giant they put in about 3 years ago which suddenly made this neighborhood much more attractive for people to be locals.

This National Harbor... I've seen it from the river. It's a HUGE construction site. My question is this: how many jobs, how many will be local.

I live 2 blocks away from the mall also. I wouldn't call it a min-mall, certainly not on the level of Pentagon City or Wheaton, but it's definitely going be a boost to the area. It's going to save me a trip to Maryland or Arlington for sure.

had no idea there were so many Columbia Height'sers on the board - i'll be sure to announce my new project here when the leases are signed (any second now!!)

re: national harbor. thing about dc CC is that it doesnt have either the CC capacity or the hotel capacity to host the big big big big events which national harbor will

so it will get play

and there are some HUUUUUUGE names going in there for restaurants, Puck, being one of the biggest.

BUT

the water ferry to G town, old town A, and back again will make the $$$ flow all around the region, which is good for all of us

kinda

but dont ask me, i'm only a RE player with 2 kids that keeps me home every night so i have no idea what real people do.