UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER DEDICATES NEW NCHS BUILDING;
UNVEILS COMMISSIONED ARTWORK

Hyattsville, Maryland, March 10, 2003….The newest office building at University Town Center, a 200,000 square foot headquarters building for the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a Department of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was officially opened today in Prince George’s County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

Participating in the event were Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson, Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-5th), and Prince George’s County Executive Jack B. Johnson. Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and NCHS Director Edward J. Sondik, Ph.D. also addressed the gathering.

The new seven-story building, designed by Weihe Design Group, provides consolidated headquarters space for NCHS, which is the nation’s principal health statistics source. The NCHS building is the latest phase of University Town Center, a mixed-use development in Hyattsville, Maryland.

In addition to dedicating the NCHS building, University Town Center unveiled its especially commissioned outdoor sculpture, called “Images of America,” by renowned artist Phillip Ratner. This signature piece consists of four units, each 12 feet high and five feet wide, displaying images of personalities, events, and concepts portraying different aspects of American history. Also unveiled at the ceremony were replicas of 18 documents representing key aspects of the founding and growth of the United States.

“Some 50 years ago, Herschel Blumberg had a vision for improving the communities of Prince George’s County by building a mixed-use complex where people could live, work, and shop,” said Congressman Hoyer. “We see this man’s vision coming closer to reality with the dedication of this new building. When NCHS briefly considered leaving the County, we told them that they could not find a landlord anywhere in America who would work as hard for them and for America.”

Congressman Hoyer also noted that University Town Center, located on Metrorail’s Green Line, is a prime example of the successful “Smart Growth” development championed by former Governor Parris Glendening, who attended the dedication ceremony. County Executive Johnson applauded the partnership among federal, state, and local governments and the private sector that is helping “Prince George’s County become the best county that we can be.”

“This is a world-class building for an organization that is doing world-class science,” said Dr. Gerberding. Dr. Sondik added: “We are especially pleased that security – essential to our work – has been upgraded in this new facility. This new physical space will safeguard the confidential health information that NCHS collects and analyzes.” Both speakers applauded the General Services Administration (GSA), which negotiated the long-term NCHS lease with University Town Center.

“Several years ago, the National Capital Park and Planning Commission called for a large outdoor sculpture to be located at the corner of Toledo Road and The Boulevard, which will be the ‘main street’ of University Town Center,” UTC President Herschel Blumberg recalled in his presentation. “But what kind of sculpture would it be? As a lifelong history buff and Marine, I want this art to reflect our nation’s values and history, the principles upon which this nation was created, and the contributions that it has made to the world.”

To fulfill this vision, Blumberg turned to local artist Phillip Ratner, whose art can be seen at the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Supreme Court. In developing “Images of America,” Ratner took advice from archivists and historians of the National Archives and others. A public advisory committee chaired by Peter S. Shapiro, Chairman of the Prince George’s County Council, plans to encourage use of the “Images of America” exhibits by school, youth, and civic groups.

In addition to “Images of America” and 18 document replicas, Ratner has created eight larger-than-life terrapin sculptures, which are being painted by students in Prince George’s County with themes related to American history. The terrapins will serve as whimsical decorative educational and decorative pieces throughout University Town Center. Art students at Hyattsville Middle School, Northwestern High School, Prince George’s Community College and the University of Maryland will paint the terrapins.

University Town Center is a 1.4 million square foot office complex located just a block from Metro, with direct Green Line connection to downtown Washington. It is minutes from the Capital Beltway, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and the New Carrollton Amtrak station. On-site amenities include a day care center, post office, police substation, restaurants, newsstand and health club. In addition to NCHS, major tenants include several other federal, state and county offices, as well as Prince George’s Community College, Kaiser Permanente, the University of Maryland University College, and Washington Hospital Center.

University Town Center is approved for over one million square feet of additional office space, up to 250,000 square feet of retail space including a movie theater, up to 2,600 residential apartment units, and structured parking garages. The focal point of the new development will be a landscaped pedestrian plaza with cafés and restaurants, and numerous specialty retail stores.