Editor’s Note: This story was originally published at 3:12 p.m. on May 27, 2025. It was updated at 11:48 a.m. on May 28, 2025 to clarify the financial aspects of the project.
Houston-based firm Hines Development will take on the construction of a mixed-use life sciences hub near the North Bethesda Metro station, Montgomery County officials and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager Randy Clarke announced Tuesday morning at a press conference at the station.
The development is expected to increase the county’s stature as a national center for life science and medical research as well as promote economic development and transit ridership, according to county and WMATA officials. It will also be the home of the University of Maryland’s Institute for Health Computing, a research facility, which is considered the “anchor” of the development, according to officials.
“We want to be a state where people can actually get to where opportunity lies, and people are not trapped. We want to be a state where we can be a national leader in life sciences and technology and engineering and in math,” Gov. Wes Moore (D) said during the press conference. “We want to be a state that people also don’t necessarily need to rely on cars in order to get where those opportunities might exist.”
Under a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2024 by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) and Clarke, the two entities will develop nearly 14 acres of land surrounding the station at 5500 Marinelli Road for a new graduate-level life sciences research hub. The project is anticipated to include approximately 2 million to 3.7 million square feet of development and six buildings. A request for proposals from developers was issued following the signing of the agreement last year.
“This project embodies a forward-thinking plan for life science, a state of the art science facility and bringing much needed residential retail space. … We recognize the responsibility of leading such an initiative,” Andrew McGeorge, senior managing director and city head of Hines’ Washington, D.C., office, said during the press conference.
The plan is for Hines to create a new community along with the life sciences hub — with housing, office, retail and public spaces, according to officials. The life sciences sector includes medical and bioresearch, health data research, health care and manufacturing.
“This is an opportunity to see a broader vision for what’s possible in this county,” Elrich said Tuesday.
According to the memorandum of understanding, the county provided $15 million in fiscal year 2023 and $5 million in both fiscal years 2024 and 2025. It will continue to provide $5 million each fiscal year through fiscal year 2028, plus a total of $3 million from the federal government that was committed in July 2024. This will total $40 million and will specifically be allocated for the development of the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing.
Officials could not provide a full total cost for the entire development, as that cost may change as Hines develops the project and determines what other entities or companies may occupy the other spaces in the larger development. At Tuesday’s press conference, Moore said the state has committed $33 million for the project.
“Money is going to be going towards the building of a new University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing, and this center will be the hub for cutting edge research in many areas,” Moore said. “The rest of the money will help to update parts of the [Metro] stations, because in Maryland, we believe in reliable mass transit, and we will invest in reliable mass transit.”
The plan is the latest in similar efforts to expand health technology developments in North Bethesda. In November 2022, county, state and federal officials joined partners from University of Maryland’s medical system in North Bethesda to sign an agreement that established a health computing center in North Bethesda.
University of Maryland Baltimore County President Bruce Jarrell said Tuesday that the new development will allow the health computing center to have a larger space to do its work.
“We plan to fill this building at least as much as we can with a lot of people who are looking at how you use data and artificial intelligence and computing to improve health care,” Jarrell said.
County Councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) said during Tuesday’s press conference that it is important for the county government to work toward developing housing policy and constituent services that will make people want to live in the county and work at the hub.
“Montgomery County wants to be the No. 1 place in the country for life science,” she said. “We have amazing talent, and also beautiful parks and the resources we have. We need to make sure we also have a good quality of life.”
The Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. praised the move in a press release Tuesday morning.
“The development, which will build on the robust research and talent capabilities on the I-270 corridor, will further enhance Montgomery County’s booming and thriving industries, and solidify our reputation as the nation’s [third] largest biopharma hub,” board Chair Elana Fine said in the release.
