MCB Announces New Vision for VIVA White Oak™
May 16, 2024
MCB Real Estate announced today that it will lead the development for VIVA White Oak, a long-awaited development project in Eastern Montgomery County, Maryland.
“My partners and I are thrilled to start work on building this vibrant new project,” said P. David Bramble, managing partner at MCB Real Estate. “At MCB, we like to do complicated projects like this and we have a track record of success. We know that this is a project that can work and, frankly, this community has waited long enough for the kind of investment and amenities that we hope to bring to this location.”
The 280-acre site, already approved for over 12 million square feet of mixed-use development by Montgomery County, is adjacent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters and near the Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, with direct access to US-29 and Cherry Hill Road.
“This is great news for Montgomery County,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Since first sitting down with Mr. Bramble, we have discussed the possibilities for bringing business, education, training and more to the site. The MCB-VIVA project will create a much-needed geographic economic development balance and inclusive economic prosperity for the eastern region of the County. Our vision for East County is in sync with MCB. Our investments and partnership with MCB in this transformative project will further promote our inclusive community economic development goals for the area and County as a whole.”
MCB is currently working with stakeholders and public officials to refine the attributes of the VIVA White Oak™ development, which is fully entitled to feature 85+ acres of open space, including forested nature trails, parks, and other public spaces; up to 4,500 quality residences, and over 6 million square feet of shops, restaurants, commercial uses, higher educational uses, and biomedical/biotech labs, offices, and research and development facilities, with a focus on the life sciences and BioHealth industries.
“The MCB team have been exceptional partners, actively seeking out opportunities to engage with community members and my office to share information and receive feedback on their plans,” said County Councilmember Kristin Mink (District 5). “The Viva White Oak project is finally poised to deliver the kind of retail, workforce, and housing development that East County residents have long called for, and I’m excited to continue working with the MCB team and my colleagues in County government to make this a reality.”
The location is also a tremendous regional asset, proximate to the University of Maryland, College Park in Prince George’s County and easy access to the I-95 corridor, Howard County and BWI Thurgood Marshall International Airport.
“Unleashing the full, untapped potential of East County and the Viva White Oak site specifically have long been key priorities for Montgomery County,” said Council President Andrew Friedson. “With unprecedented investments including the opening of the new East County Education Center and the County’s first Bus Rapid Transit Line along Route 29, alongside a committed, community-oriented private partner in MCB, we are poised to build on our unrivaled strategic assets and truly fulfill our shared vision for this deserving community.”
MCB plans to break ground on the first phase of this project in 2025.
"Viva White Oak introduces a fresh zone of innovation that builds off the existing Montgomery County assets and talent pipeline, complemented by thoughtful amenities to establish a world-class standard in life sciences ecosystems, poised to become a global gateway to the FDA," said Wilkingson Germain, CEO of MCB Science+Health.
ABOUT MCB: Founded in 2007, MCB Real Estate is a community-centric, privately-held institutional investment management firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. MCB boasts a nationwide portfolio of $3 Billion Assets Under Management totaling approximately 15 million SF of industrial, office, retail, mixed-use, multi-family and life sciences properties with almost 4 million SF. in its development pipeline. The firm offers a seamlessly integrated suite of commercial real estate investment services, including development, construction, property management, asset management, acquisitions, and legal expertise, thus ensuring comprehensive support throughout every stage of an asset’s lifecycle. For more information, visit www.mcbrealestate.com
ABOUT VIVA WHITE OAK™: Viva White Oak is a 280-acre site being developed by MCB Real Estate, with Global LifeSciences Development Corporation (an affiliate of Percontee, Inc.) remaining invested as a minority partner in the venture.