Architect's rendition of the Inn and Conference Center expansion.

UMUC Inn and Conference Center Expansion Will Make It Area's 12th Largest

By Andrea Martino

The University's plan to expand its Inn and Conference Center in Adelphi, Maryland, by some 100,000 square feet will make the UMUC complex the 12th largest meeting facility in the national capital area and more competitive for larger conferences. The UMUC Inn and Conference Center, 12 miles from the nation's capital, is practically equidistant from Dulles, Baltimore-Washington, and Reagan National airports.

At a cost of $21 million, the addition will more than double the number of guestrooms available. With construction scheduled to begin in September, the expanded area will include 127 guestrooms, 15 suites, and seven conference rooms. Planners expect the addition to be complete in December 2003.

Construction for the site was approved by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents in July 2002 and is funded by auxiliary revenue bonds through the System Funded Construction Program.

The architect for the project is Oldham and Partners (OPX), a Washington, D.C., firm that recently designed the renovation of the Inn and Conference Center's existing hotel, ballroom, space for a lounge and art gallery, and the Garden Restaurant. The construction manager for the expansion is Bovis Lend Lease of Bethesda, Maryland.

OPX has registered the addition with the U.S. Green Building Council for certification in the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program that requires the utilization of recycled materials and energy efficiency. The UMUC addition is one of only two hospitality projects worldwide registered with the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information on the UMUC Inn and Conference Center, operated for the University by Marriott, visit the Web site at www.umuc.edu/icc/.