MoCo officials, United Therapeutics tout $100M expansion including jobs, housing, parking, retail

Agreement would boost Silver Spring campus by 40% as biotech grows artificial organs

December 15, 2023 10:34 p.m.

Touting new jobs, more housing and a new parking garage, United Therapeutics Corp. and Montgomery County officials on Friday announced a $100 million project to expand the biotech company’s downtown Silver Spring site by 40%.

The company, co-headquartered in Silver Spring and in Durham, N.C., took in revenues of $1.94 billion in 2022, and the Montgomery County expansion would support its efforts to “develop an unlimited supply of tolerable, transplantable organs,” according to a news release from county officials and the company.

Under the proposed arrangement, United Therapeutics would be responsible for constructing a new public parking garage at 8615 Georgia Ave. that would also include a parcel slotted for an affordable housing development in the future, according to the news release. Also, 3,000 square feet of new retail space would be included on the garage’s ground floor, according to the proposal.

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Once the garage is complete, United Therapeutics would transfer the site to the county, which in turn would transfer the Spring Cameron Parking garage at 8700 Cameron St. to United Therapeutics, according to the statement. Another term of the deal requires United Therapeutics to invest a minimum of $50 million into any new facility within 15 years of the transfer.

The county would also receive land and, per the news release.

Additionally, Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT)’s parking operations site would be relocated northwest to 9150 Brookville Road in Lyttonsville, according to the statement.

“The growth of United Therapeutics will bring jobs and economic investment to our community, as they advance their lifesaving medicine,” Council Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) said in a statement. “We are fortunate to have a trailblazing biotech company that changes lives worldwide and gives back to our community right here in Downtown Silver Spring.”

United Therapeutics has 230 full-time employees, according to the statement. The company markets therapeutics in treating rare diseases and develops manufactured organs for transplant for patients with end-stage organ diseases, per the statement.

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“United Therapeutics Corporation is revolutionizing healthcare through the development of manufactured organs for transplant,” County Executive Marc Elrich (D) said in the statement. “We are committed to the company’s future growth in Silver Spring, and I look forward to working with the County Council through the property disposition process.”

Before the proposal can be approved by the County Council, the process must have input from the public, according to the statement.

“Since our founding almost 30 years ago, we have been honored to be part of the downtown Silver Spring community,” said Thomas Kaufman, associate vice president for corporate real estate at United Therapeutics. “Montgomery County has been a key partner in supporting our growth during that time, and this agreement will allow us to continue our growth and support for Silver Spring for years to come.”

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