Mr. Murray, a resident of La Plata, has been a construction professional, consultant, designer and builder in Southern Maryland for 40 years. Some of the projects Murray oversaw included the first phase of Clark’s Run, which he completed the land planning for in 1977. He was also intricately involved in the development of Hickory Ridge, from developing the master plan to designing the original townhouses in the 1980s. Murray and his wife, Sue, live in Hickory Ridge – which remains a model in Charles County for integrating open and green space, attractive landscaping, strong architecture, and a definable and marketable identity.
Other local projects he has been involved in include one of the first mixed-use buildings in La Plata, which was completed on Centennial Street, a mixed-use building on Maple Avenue, and the design and construction of the Maredith Building, a new upscale and elegant building in downtown La Plata.
Murray is among the team members who quickly saw that The HUB could help the 28,000 people who commute from Southern Maryland into the D.C. metro region daily (spending massive amounts of time in traffic) by locating quality jobs and employer worksites at The HUB. Planners foresee a community that will be built in several phases, with three neighborhoods, over the course of decades.
“I consider myself very fortunate to be working with two forward-thinking partners, Dr. Jay Hellman, and the Tower Companies, one of the preeminent green builders in the nation. Thirty years ago, Jay comprehended the importance of the four fiber-optic networks intersecting in La Plata and the connectivity this offers the town and region in building a sustainable community where people can live, work and play. It took me over four years and many meetings with Jay and Tower before I came to believe The HUB would be a positive for our community and to join as the project manager. Every element of this project — from the way it looks, feels and functions, to quality-of-life, environmental and infrastructure features — have been taken into account to build one of the best developments this area has seen.”