BALTIMORE (March 22, 2010) – St. John Properties, Inc. has initiated construction on a new Public Safety Communications Center (PSC), which serves as the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Prince George’s County. MD. The PSC, which will consist of a single-story 40,000 square foot building contained within the company’s Maryland Science and Technology Center @ Melford project, is expected to be operational this fall. The 466-acre business community is situated in Bowie at the intersection of US Route 50 and MD Route 3/301 and will be a 3.2 million square foot mixed-use development upon completion.

The new building has been designed to replace the current communications center located at 7911 Anchor Street in Landover which acts as the receiving and processing hub for all 911 calls emanating from Prince George’s County residents and businesses. More than 200 authorized personnel operate the center on a 24/7 basis to field and dispatch calls, provide technical support, monitor radio systems and perform crisis intervention and management activities. The PSC processes more than 1.5 million calls annually and works directly with the Prince George’s County Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, nearly 50 fire stations and nine Municipal Police Departments.

Under the terms of the agreement, Prince George’s County has purchased a 3.5 acre tract of land at Maryland Science and Technology Center @ Melford from St. John Properties, and has engaged the commercial real estate development company to construct a 40,000 square foot shell building on the site. Upon final completion of the project, the County will acquire the building from St. John Properties. All tenant build-out work, including the installation of state-of-the-art communication and processing systems, will be handled by Motorola Corporation.

“This multi-faceted project exemplifies the comprehensive menu of commercial real estate services that our company can provide for corporate, institutional and government end-users,” explained Jerry Wit, Senior Vice President-Marketing for St. John Properties, Inc. “Working closely with Prince George’s County and third-party vendors, our team is managing all site selection, design/build and construction management activities for this Communications Center. The design and placement of the building integrates seamlessly with the business environment we have created at Melford,” he added.

“The current communications center was last renovated more than ten years ago, and it was a County priority to upgrade the operation with a modern facility to handle current and long-term demand in the region,” explained Floyd Holt, Director of Central Services for Prince George’s County. “Melford was the ideal business community due, in large part, to its close proximity to telecommunications towers that will provide essential wireless connections to the PSC. The park’s central location in the County provides convenient access to the employees that will operate the center on a 24/7 basis.”

The Public Safety Communications Center will be outfitted with dual redundant power and emergency generator systems to assure its continuous operation through events that cause energy outages. The Center’s telecommunications systems will also be connected to the state-of-the-art fiber optic system that services the business community. The exterior of the single-story building will also be designed with customized anti-terrorism and bomb and blast safety features.

“We believe this Center will be a magnet to attract additional County agencies to Maryland Science and Technology Center @ Melford,” Jerry Wit added.

St. John Properties, Inc., founded in 1971 as MIE Properties, owns and has developed more than 14 million square feet of R&D/flex, warehouse, office and retail space in Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana, Virginia and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit sjp.mu9b0uf9-liquidwebsites.com.

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For more information, contact:
Al Cunniff, Director of Marketing, St. John Properties, Inc.
410-369-1277