Renovated College Park Complex on Berwyn House Road Reopens as The Arbor

An older apartment complex along Berwyn House Road in College Park has reopened after renovations under a new name: The Arbor. The rebranding marks a fresh chapter for the property, though the surrounding blocks are headed in the opposite direction, with nearby structures slated for demolition to make way for a six-story residential development called Terrapin House.

The planned development will require clearing the strip of buildings on the corner of Route 1 and Hartwick Road, along with some apartments and a house at the intersection of Hartwick Road and Yale Avenue. That corner strip once held a roster of locally beloved spots: Tokoa Cheesesteaks, Kung Fu Tea, Pho Thom and Jerk at Nite. Most are already gone. Ritchie's was among the last to hold on, staying open past the original demolition timeline after its lease extended into 2026. Demolition had been scheduled to begin at the end of 2025, but the lease delay pushed that start date back.

"[Ritchie's] had such a unique flavor and feel," said Weiss. "You really can't find it anywhere else."

Northwest Chinese, the final restaurant left in the strip, was still operating as of earlier this week.

The Terrapin House project represents a significant density increase for that stretch of Route 1, a corridor that has seen steady redevelopment pressure as the University of Maryland and its surrounding neighborhoods absorb growing demand for student and workforce housing. No developer name or unit count was included in initial reporting on the project, and no public hearing or permit timeline has been confirmed.

The Arbor reopening and the Terrapin House plans together reflect the dual pressures reshaping College Park's built environment: older residential stock being upgraded and rebranded on one block, while the commercial fabric that gave the neighborhood its character gets cleared on another.