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Montgomery College's Expansion of Takoma Park Campus into Downtown Silver Spring to Begin with Ceremonial Demolition
College, Elected Officials to Ceremoniously Launch Project by Taking Aim at Former Silver Spring Motel, Long a Symbol of Blight in Downtown Area; New Health Sciences Center Will Be First of Three New College Buildings

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2002
Noon

Site of Former "Silver Spring Motel"
Georgia Avenue and King Street
(From I-495, take Georgia Avenue southbound, towards Silver Spring;
proceed past East-West Highway, take a left on King Street.)

Montgomery College will launch a long-awaited expansion of its Takoma Park Campus into south Silver Spring, with a ceremony that marks the beginning of demolition activity to clear the way for construction of the first of three new College buildings. The first building, a state-of-the-art health sciences center, will become home not only to the College's nursing and other health sciences programs, but also to a community clinic that will be managed by Holy Cross Health, and a College-operated business training center.

County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and a host of other officials and community leaders will join Montgomery College President Charlene R. Nunley in celebrating the project's ceremonial beginning, by taking aim at the former Silver Spring Motel. The former motel, long a symbol of the blight that has marred the landscape and economic fortunes of downtown Silver Spring, is among a number of commercial structures along Georgia Avenue being razed to make way for the health sciences center. 

Project Background:
Montgomery College's Takoma Park Campus is the oldest and smallest of the community college's three primary campuses in Montgomery County. The existing campus serves more than 4,000 adult students on a 12-acre site that is not much larger than the typical size of an elementary school site. With the planned expansion, the campus will be able to serve up to about 3,000 more students. Because the new portion of the campus is divided from the old section in Takoma Park by the Metro and railroad tracks, a pedestrian bridge is being constructed to connect the two sections. Funded through a 50-50 split by the State and County, the project's estimated public cost is $88 million Later phases of the project will include the development of a new student services center and a cultural arts center. To enhance public funding of the project, the College Foundation is embarking on a $10 million capital campaign to raise private funds in support of scholarships, professional development, technology and other critical needs.

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