The city of College Park is upgrading its largest recreational facility.

In mid-March, the city will begin breaking ground on renovations at Duvall Field, a seven-acre park created in the 1960s.

Located at 9119 Rhode Island Ave., the field already has a new concession stand from renovations in 2018.

After the renovations, the park will feature an ampitheatre, new multipurpose soccer and baseball fields, basketball and pickleball courts, a walking and fitness trail and a new playground, among other things.

The $6.5 million project will be funded by the city’s capital improvement fund, state bonds and the state Department of Natural Resources.

The project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2026.

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The Canvas Apartments are now leasing in Hyattsville.

Located at 5300 Baltimore Ave., across from the Shoppes at Arts District Hyattsville, the 285-apartment mixed-use development is finally nearing completion.

Options include studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from 472 to 1,252 square feet. Rents start at $1,875 and go as high as $3,710 per month.

The apartments come with in-unit laundry, large customizable closets and automated electric roller blinds, and some have private balconies facing Route 1  Amenities include a wading pool and a fitness center, and the apartments are pet-friendly.

The building will also feature Mathnasium and an outpost of Akira Ramen & Izakaya. Several other retail spaces are still available or in negotiations.

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Hyattsville’s historic Masonic lodge will get a new life.

Located at 4207 Gallatin St., the building and a nearby parking lot were sold for $1.3 million to Hyattsville resident Kayleigh Kulp, who plans to restore the exterior while converting the inside to a mixed-use development.

This represents pretty much the best-case scenario for the building, constructed in 1893 by the Mount Hermon Lodge No. 179, which has seen its membership decline in recent years.

Kulp has experience with adaptive reuse and a historic preservation designation was secured as a condition of the sale.

“Kayleigh’s commitment to adaptive reuse and local investment ensures this historic property will continue to serve as a meaningful part of Hyattsville’s story,” said Hannah McCann, an investment associate at Feldman Ruel, which facilitated the off-market sale.

Over the years, the Romanesque Revival building served as a hub for community events ranging from banquets to political rallies.

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Compass Coffee is now open in College Park, its first location in Maryland.

The D.C.-based chain added its newest location at 4210 Knox Rd., near the Spot Mini Asian restaurant, in late January.

The chain was started by two former Marines who say they discovered their love of good coffee “after years of drinking terrible coffee on deployment.” (The founders have since had a falling out that is currently in court.)

Compass has also promoted cryptocurrency and made headlines last year when it began accepting USDC, a stablecoin indexed to the dollar, and responded to a union drive with a mass hiring.

One feature you won’t find in other Route 1 coffee shops is its latte art print machine, which can print your selfie or the UMD Terps logo right onto the coffee foam.

Compass Coffee is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

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Call Your Mother Deli made its Route 1 debut on Friday.

The popular “Jew-ish” bagel spot has brought its distinctive pink food truck to Bear Square at the Station at Riverdale Park.

Located at 4599 Van Buren St., the truck will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Call Your Mother is regularly celebrated for having the best bagels in D.C. and included in the Washingtonian’s Cheap Eats survey.

It joins Bagels ‘n Grinds in College Park and Towne Bagels in Mount Rainier.

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A  bubble tea chain will move into the former MilkBoy ArtHouse space in College Park.

Virginia-based Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea closed a deal on the 14,700-square-foot space at 7416 Baltimore Ave. in December, according to The Restaurant Broker president Jim McGinnis.

McGinnis told the Hyattsville Wire that the company is planning a bubble tea and Asian-food restaurant on the first floor, while using the second floor for special events.

Bubble tea places have proven popular in College Park, where many of the more than 7,000 international students hail from China and Taiwan.

McGinnis, who is a University of Maryland alum, has also worked on local real estate deals for the Original Ledo’s, the Iron Rooster, Taqueria Habanero and other local businesses.

MilkBoy ArtHouse closed in 2019 after hosting an eclectic mix of musicians for two years as part of a partnership with the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

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Primark is headed to the Mall at Prince George’s early this year.

Construction is underway for the Irish-based clothing and home goods retailer to take over the former location of J.C. Penney’s, which closed in 2020 amid a nationwide restructuring during Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Primark is currently expanding across the Midwest and the South, already has a location in the D.C. area at Tyson’s Corner, and another is coming soon at Potomac Mills.

While well-known in Europe, the retailer is still building its U.S. presence. While other stores have struggled with flagging sales due to online competition, Primark has gone the other direction, heavily promoting in-store shopping and having a minimal online shopping option.

It seems to be working. Its low prices and carefully curated store layouts have driven Primark to nearly 500 stores in 16 countries. The Hyattsville location is slated to open sometime this year.

The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which has owned the Hyattsville mall since 1998, at one point contemplated tearing down the J.C. Penney building and building a 360-unit apartment building with first-floor retail on the site.

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