St. John, Reliable partner on new business park on Route 3 in Gambrills
Two of the largest commercial real estate firms in Anne Arundel County are partnering on a new project in Gambrills, the latest in a series of developments that have transformed the area over the past decade.
St. John Properties, the county’s largest commercial property owner, and Reliable Contracting Co., one of the county’s largest commercial builders, announced a joint venture partnership to build the Waugh Chapel Business Park on Route 3, a busy commercial corridor.
Construction is set to begin immediately on three 33,120-square-foot, single-story buildings, slated to be completed early next year, the company said in a prepared statement. When the business park is finished, the company projected it would include 225,000 square feet of flex/research and development space.
It will be located near both the Village at Waugh Chapel, which has 790,000 square feet of office, retail and residential space, and the Waugh Chapel Town Center, which has a mix of 755,000 square feet of office and retail.
Traffic and development have become major concerns for area residents in recent years, with some projects drawing protests that have slowed their approval.
Richard Williamson, senior vice president of leasing and marketing for St. John Properties, said Anne Arundel County is one of its best markets. He cited the nearby developments as a major draw for potential tenants of the new project. None of the space under construction is leased.
“We believe end-users from a wide array of industry sectors will gravitate to this business community,” Williamson said in a statement released by the company.
After completing work on the first three buildings at 983, 985 and 987 Waugh Chapel Way, the company said it would begin the next phase of construction next year.
Nearly 55,000 people reside within a 3-mile radius from the site, the developer said.
St. John Properties, owns and has developed more than 19 million square feet of commercial space in Maryland and seven other states. Reliable Contracting is based in Gambrills.
