SS/confctr.pr       96-37               Contact:  David Weaver, 301-217-6530

DUNCAN RECOMMENDS CONSTRUCTION OF
CONFERENCE CENTER AT WHITE FLINT        For Immediate Release: Jan. 29, 1996



     Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan today urged the County
Council to approve the construction of a $60 million state-of-the-art
conference center and adjacent hotel at White Flint, through a jointly funded,
public-private partnership involving the State, the County and a private
sector development team.
     Duncan announced that the County has reached an agreement, pending
County Council and State approval, to purchase a 12-acre site on which the
conference center and hotel would be built.  The property would be acquired
from the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority for approximately $7.5
million.  Located across from the White Flint Metro Station -- on the west
side of Rockville Pike -- the site provides direct access to the station via
an underground pedestrian tunnel.
     "One of my top economic development priorities has been to determine a
cost-effective means of developing a new conference center in Montgomery
County," said Duncan.  "I'm delighted to say today, based on the agreement we
have reached on the site acquisition and the positive findings of our cost-
benefit analysis, that I am recommending to the County Council that we go
forward on constructing the project. 
     "All of the extensive evaluation we've done on this project over the
past year confirms that it will provide an economic boost for the County and,
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DUNCAN RECOMMENDS BUILDING CONFERENCE CENTER                     2-2-2


indeed, the entire state," said Duncan.  "We've got an ideal location for the
center, our fiscal studies indicate that it's a sound investment and the
market research verifies that there is a real need for this type of facility
in Montgomery County.  
     "Because of our lack of adequate meeting space, we have simply not been
able to be as competitive as we need to be with the District of Columbia and
northern Virginia, in terms of attracting conventions, trade shows and other
such functions," added Duncan.  "This center will be a tremendous asset for
our existing businesses and organizations, and will help us to attract this
type of business from around the region."
     As proposed, the conference center would feature approximately 35,200-
square-feet of useable meeting space, including a ballroom and an exhibition
hall.  The adjacent 225-room hotel would be owned and managed by Marriott
International, which, along with the Quadrangle Development Corporation, is
heading the private sector development team that is planning, designing and
constructing the conference center/hotel complex.  The Maryland Stadium
Authority is managing the conference center project for the County.
     Under Duncan's recommendation, funding for the $60 million project would
be broken down as follows:  $32 million would be paid by the public sector,
including $21 million by the State and $11 million by the County; and $28
million -- for the adjacent hotel -- would be funded by the private sector
partners, led by Quadrangle and Marriott.

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DUNCAN RECOMMENDS BUILDING CONFERENCE CENTER                     3-3-3


     As a means of helping to offset an initial cash flow deficit in the
project's developmental stage, Duncan is recommending an increase in the
County's hotel/motel tax to its 1994 level of 7 percent.    Legislation will
be introduced in the Maryland General Assembly later this week, to secure
State funding for the conference center project.
     "I'm very appreciative of the Governor's support for the project and am
confident that the General Assembly will also agree that this is a good
investment for the State."  
     The conference center project and its County funding must be approved by
the County Council.
     Construction of the conference center is expected to take two years. 
Upon completion, it is estimated that it would employ 228 hotel and 28
conference center employees.

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