TO: The Honorable Chair and Members of the Board of Trustees
Montgomery College
Central Services Building (CT) | Suite S108
900 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
SUBJECT: Recommendation to Select Viva White Oak as the Site for the New East County Campus
Dear Esteemed Members of the Board of Trustees,
This letter serves as an emphatic and urgent recommendation for the College to select the Viva White Oak (VWO) site for the new Montgomery College East County Campus. The co-location of the College at VWO is not merely a beneficial land acquisition; it is a strategic imperative that will create an unprecedented synergy, catalyze economic development, and fundamentally reshape the educational and professional landscape for thousands of East County residents.
Viva White Oak (VWO) is a transformative, 280-acre mixed-use development positioned as the centerpiece of the White Oak Science Gateway Master Plan. VWO is destined to become a vibrant, dense, and innovative ecosystem. This development represents one of the largest and most ambitious projects in the County, aiming to integrate living, commerce, and innovation seamlessly.
Montgomery College has successfully established its presence and commitment in East County, as demonstrated by the thousands of individuals served at the existing ECEC through vital job skills and workforce development programs since 2015. The College’s addition of a new campus requires a site that meets the criteria of the future: a vertical, integrated, and highly accessible urban center, departing from the conventional standalone campus model seen at Germantown or Rockville. By establishing its new campus at Viva White Oak, Montgomery College will become more than an educational institution; it will become the cornerstone of the entire development’s social and economic mission.
The Vision: Cornerstone of the White Oak Science Gateway
VWO is designed to be one of the largest and most innovative new developments in the region, encompassing 12.1 million square feet of mixed-use space across 280 acres. It is strategically positioned adjacent to the FDA headquarters and near Adventist HealthCare, forming the core of the White Oak Science Gateway.
The College has an unprecedented opportunity to become the educational cornerstone of this entire ecosystem. A facility located here would move beyond the traditional isolated campus model, integrating instead into a vertical, integrated, and highly accessible urban center. This dynamic environment will feature residential, retail, office, and lab space, creating a dense, walkable neighborhood where education is interwoven with commerce and innovation. The new campus will serve as a physical bridge between the academic community and the multi-billion-dollar research and development ecosystem unfolding at White Oak.
A Call for Bold Leadership and Economic Acceleration.
This decision represents a bold, future-oriented investment that guarantees significant returns:
- Fueling Economic Growth and Workforce Development: The College’s presence will serve as a magnetic anchor for other businesses, particularly those focused on the Life Sciences and Technology sectors. The Academic + Innovation structure will allow for the curriculum to be directly tailored to the high-tech firms adjacent to the FDA campus. This ensures a reliable, locally sourced pipeline of skilled talent, dramatically accelerating regional economic growth and significantly reducing the time-to-hire for high-wage jobs in East County.
- Maximizing Public Investment: Co-locating the new campus within the VWO leverages existing and planned public and private infrastructure investment—including TIF-funded road and transit improvements—avoiding the costly duplication of infrastructure associated with a standalone campus. This fiscal prudence maximizes the value of every dollar invested by the County and the State in education.
- Creating a Dynamic Urban Ecosystem: A campus at VWO will help infuse the development with critical daytime and evening activity, supporting local retail, dining, and housing. This synergy creates the vibrant, 18-hour urban core, making VWO a desirable place to live, learn, and work for all Montgomery County residents.
I urge the Board of Trustees to embrace this unique, generational opportunity. Please authorize and expedite the necessary steps to secure and plan the new East County Campus at the Viva White Oak master plan, solidifying the College’s commitment to an equitable and prosperous future for all Montgomery County residents.
Sincerely,
Radwan Chowdhury
Candidate for County Council At-Large
CC:
- Honorable Marc B. Elrich, County Executive, Montgomery County
- Honorable Kate Stewart, President, Montgomery County Council
- Dr. Jermaine F. Williams, President, Montgomery College
- Mr. Jewru Bandeh, Director, East County Regional Services Center
- Mr. P. David Bramble, Managing Partner, MCB Real Estate (Viva White Oak)
- The Montgomery County Planning Board
- East County Citizen Advisory Board (ECCAB)