A: Prior to COVID-19, The HUB’s goal was to plan and design a telework community through which residents would remain in La Plata and work virtually in D.C. or elsewhere, linked by video, fiber optic and the Internet. The idea was that both businesses and residents would prosper because of a distributed office space strategy combined with a traditional neighborhood model, says Project Leader Bill Murray.
Early on, The HUB developers put together a team, which included telecommunity experts and other consultants, to create a mixed-use master plan. For several years, that plan was the basis for meeting with federal agencies and federal elected officials, and producing supporting documents, to introduce The HUB to key decision-makers and explore bringing quality employers to La Plata.
Then 2020 arrived. While it proved the importance of Americans being able to work remotely, it also raised issues regarding how people will live and work years from now and what employees’ and employers’ evolving needs will be.
The goal to bring remote workers to La Plata and using a distributed office framework remains the same. But after the pandemic hit, the team also began monitoring predictable future trend-lines in development, concentrating on a more hyper-local approach, and its master plan was redesigned to eliminate 400 multi-family living units to strengthen its ability to meet post-pandemic and telecommunity needs.
The HUB is developing a separate website to market the community to future employers. It has also fine-tuned its planned residential offerings and commercial components.
As the nation and Charles County move into a new era of how people will live, work and view mobility, The HUB team will continue to build relationships, advocate a mixed-use project that meets emergent market demands, and rely on flexibility to integrate what both employees and employers will need to thrive in safe, productive and transformative job-sites or WFH spaces.
We will also incorporate feedback from the Town of La Plata, residents, and potential federal or corporate partners to ensure a successful and enduring community.