In the 1980s, many local Suitland businesses relocated to newer commercial centers, and remaining businesses suffered from increasing vacancy. The departure of commercial tenants led to the deterioration of parts of the Suitland Manor community.

In 1985, recognizing the existing assets and tremendous development potential of Suitland Manor, Prince George’s County approved the Suitland-District Heights and Vicinity Master Plan. The 1985 Plan organized the Suitland Manor area as a Neighborhood Business Revitalization (NBR) area. The NBR program was intended to focus public resources on improving distressed areas. Despite great efforts on the part of the County and community, immediate results were limited.

During the 1990s, Prince George’s County again focused its attention on Suitland Manor and completed a Suitland Revitalization Action Plan in 1995. The 1995 Plan recommended strategies for improving safety, attraction and retention of local businesses, community services and community image. It promoted a vision for Suitland Manor that included the development of a vibrant town center comprised of retail, entertainment and places for public gathering that would serve as a community focal point. Incorporating feedback from local businesses, this 1995 Plan proposed strategies for improving streetscaping, public spaces, recreational trails and leveraging the advantages of the employment base of Suitland Federal Center and a new Suitland Metrorail station.

In 2002, the County issued the new Prince George’s County Approved General Plan, calling for the implementation of flexible zoning in certain “regional centers” to help support new development. These regional centers would be established in areas with existing assets that could be leveraged to spur mixed-use development, such as existing employment centers, commercial areas and mass transit routes. The 2002 Plan helped pave the way for the realization of the redevelopment of Suitland Manor.

Due to the efforts of County officials and the local community, many of the elements required for the realization of the development of a vibrant mixed-use town center at Suitland Manor began falling into place in the new millennium. The opening of the much-anticipated Suitland Metrorail station in 2000 helped to provide the necessary infrastructure to support the achievement of a transit-oriented redevelopment project. Since the opening of the Suitland Metrorail station, the quantity of daily users (estimated at 3,200 daily riders) has exceeded original forecasts. Another piece fell into place when a new master plan for the Suitland Federal Center was released by the United States General Services Administration (GSA), which included plans for expansion. The Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), expects the number of employees at the Suitland Federal Center to grow from 9,000 to 11,000 people by 2010.

With the opening of new direct access to the Metrorail system coupled with the expanding employment base at Suitland Federal Center, County officials were poised to make the vision of revitalizing Suitland Manor a reality. In anticipation, the RA began acquiring parcels at Suitland Manor, clearing land and razing older, dilapidated structures. In December 2004, the M-NCPPC completed a preliminary Suitland M-U-TC Plan to set the parameters and vision for the redevelopment of Suitland Manor. The M-U-TC Plan sets forth guidelines and objectives for any development in the area. It calls for a mixed-use, transit oriented regional center, envisioning the incorporation of a retail and commercial center at the intersection of Silver Hill and Suitland. The retail and commercial center will be surrounded by new for-sale and rental residential units. The completion of the Suitland M-U-TC Plan solidified the desire of County officials and the local community to transform historic Suitland Manor into a modern and vibrant regional center.

The Redevelopment Authority (RA) of Prince George’s County is currently conducting a solicitation for the development of a 22-acre site within Suitland Manor. The RA envisions that the selected development team will work together with property owners in adjacent parcels to fully realize the redevelopment concept and transform the Suitland Manor community in accordance with the Suitland M-U-TC development plan.