By OLIVER MACK
The long-awaited College Park Woods Clubhouse opened to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 6 after about a year of construction.
The city purchased the property, at 3545 Marlbrough Way, in 2018, but construction was delayed by the pandemic.
“This is a really, really wonderful time for us to celebrate,” College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir told the audience at the ceremony. “This is your second home. Please enjoy it.”
The College Park City Council approved a $1.3 million contract with Rainbow Construction Co. in February 2024 to build the clubhouse, which will be used as a multi-purpose gathering place for meetings, parties, classes and events.
Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell (District 4) said the new community space, which is in her district, fulfills part of the city’s strategic plan to bring College Park together.
“Having this is important, because engagement means inclusivity,” Mitchell said. “And that means people can feel like they belong together.”
Some residents who attended the ribbon cutting said the new space will bring a stronger sense of community to broader College Park.
“I hope that it will unite us as a city,” resident Mary Anne Hakes, who works on the city’s Explorations on Aging project, said. “We’re 17 different neighborhoods. … We’re very far removed from each other. … I think to have a place that could be seen as a gathering place for all neighborhoods would really help create a sense of community.”
The clubhouse features two main rooms separated by a divider that can retract to create one larger space. The building also has a lobby and kitchen space, along with a gender-neutral bathroom.
The unused outdoor space surrounding the building could be used for another amenity to the complex, Kabir said, floating the idea of a community garden.
The property, once a privately-owned swim club, had fallen into disrepair before the city purchased it for $585,000, using a state grant.
Broughton Construction Co. worked with the city to demolish the existing facility, including the pool, before starting construction, but setbacks during the pandemic forced the company to leave the agreement, which delayed the project.
The swimming club was part of the foundation of the community, Mitchell said.
“When the pool leadership decided to talk to the city of College Park about the possibility of the city purchasing this, it was a win-win because it was something that’s going to stay within the actual community,” Mitchell said. “I’m just really excited about it.”
County Councilmember Eric Olson (District 3), Mitchell and College Park Councilmember Maria Mackie (District 4) also spoke at the ceremony.
“We will start a new era of acceptance and community as we meet together in this place,” Mackie said during her remarks. “I’m looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming years of this facility being a place and a home of sweet fellowship and joyful memories.”
Barbara Pianowski, the swim club’s former president, said the new space is “wonderful.”
“It’s good to see your neighbor,” Pianowski said. “It’s a good place to meet.”
