Metro officials are seeking feedback from the public on possible new names for the Largo Town Center station in Prince George’s County.
County officials have asked Metro’s board of directors to consider renaming the stop so it better reflects changes that have occurred in the neighborhood. The area is home to a new medical center and will soon include more housing, office and retail space.
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Among the options being considered for the station, which offers Blue and Silver line service: Largo, Downtown Largo and Downtown PGC.
Denise Robinson, the county’s assistant deputy chief administrative officer for economic development, said officials requested the name change as part of a “rebranding exercise.”
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“We believe a new name will resonate with the community as well as passengers who utilize Metro transportation for a variety of reasons (entertainment, sporting events, retail, business, professional services, etc.) and will reflect the vision of the location and surrounding area serving as a downtown and community gathering location,” she said in a statement.
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Prince George’s officials also asked recently to change the name of another station in the county — from Prince George’s Plaza to Hyattsville Crossing — which Metro has approved.
Metro updated its station naming policy in 2012 and since then, several jurisdictions have sought name changes. The Tysons Corner station on the Silver Line was recently renamed Tysons, a shift proponents of the change said better reflects the area’s new identity as it attempts to rebrand itself as a more walkable, urban neighborhood.
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Metro considers name changes at the request of local governments. The requests often come when previous landmarks are shuttered or relocated, or when officials are seeking to remake a neighborhood’s identity.
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That is the case in Montgomery County, where officials are hoping to rename the White Flint station on Metro’s Red Line as Bethesda North. The White Flint Mall officially closed in January 2015, and county officials are seeking to reflect changes in the area. Metro recently sought community feedback on the North Bethesda name.
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In Prince George’s, county officials recently celebrated the opening of a new regional hospital near the Metro station. The University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center replaced the 75-year-old Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly.
The hope of county officials is that the new facility will improve health care for residents in Maryland’s second-largest jurisdiction and serve as an anchor for a bustling downtown Largo.
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“We are working to make the area more activated and walkable,” Robinson said. “And are looking to create a sense of place, by bringing in more amenities, to complement the arrival of our new hospital and to connect to ancillary development coming online.”
Metro requires communities that request name changes to pay the costs, including printing new signs and reprinting transit system maps. Such an undertaking is not cheap — the expense can be several-hundred-thousand dollars. In the case of North Bethesda and Hyattsville Crossing, Metro officials estimated the cost would be roughly $332,000.
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Under Metro’s policy, new station names should reflect the station’s location — including geographic features, such as landmarks or “centers of activity.” Guidelines also say the names should be “distinctive and evoke imagery in the mind of the patron.”
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Members of the public can share their opinions on the naming options for the Largo Town Center station by going to largotowncenterrename.questionpro.com to fill out a survey. Responses will be accepted through 5 p.m. Monday.