Posted by Chris Colgan on Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 6:14am.
Source Credit: Reporting by Ana Lucía Murillo, Washington Business Journal (Nov. 5, 2025).
This post is written independently by Chris Colgan, providing strategic insight and market context.
For years, the area surrounding the Southern Avenue Metro station has been a transit-rich location with development potential that remained largely untapped. Now, that appears to be changing in a significant way.
Petra Development is advancing a massive mixed-use project known as The Promise, and if built as envisioned, it will likely become one of the most transformative infill developments in the Washington region in decades.
We’re talking: 1,500+ residential units, anchored retail, daycare, a grocery store, all positioned next to a Metro station that has until now been overlooked. This isn’t just another residential project—it’s the kind of catalyst that shifts how developers, investors and residents look at a market.
The development site is 1501 Southern Avenue in Oxon Hill, Maryland—immediately adjacent to the Metro station. Key components of The Promise include:
More than 1,500 new homes (apartments/condos)
A full-service grocery store (a long-missing amenity for the area)
A daycare center, which appeals to households and working families
Walkable mixed-use buildings designed with transit in mind
Direct, immediate access to the Metro station (enhancing value and commute-options)
Petra’s own website confirms the project as part of their portfolio: “Southern Avenue … a transit-oriented development, with neighborhood service retail, a full-service grocer, and a robust mixture of residential units.” Petra
When I evaluate markets across D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia, several themes guide my outlook:
The Southern Avenue Metro stop has been under-leveraged. A project of this scale directly next to the station changes the calculus: suddenly it becomes viable as a destination for living, not just commuting.
The region remains starved for housing, especially in mixed-use, transit-adjacent formats. A 1,500-unit project isn’t incremental — it’s material.
Adding a grocery store and daycare signals long-term value. These amenities serve daily life, not just luxury buyers. That keeps occupancy high and helps neighborhood evolution.
When a major development breaks ground, others typically follow. This project sends a strong signal to the market—land-owners, investors, developers—that this corridor is now “on.”
Local sources report that The Promise has cleared a key planning hurdle. Relevant documents show County legislative actions recommending waivers and PILOT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) agreements for the project. Prince George's County Council+1
That doesn’t mean construction is imminent, but it’s a strong indicator that Petra Development is advancing entitlement in earnest. From my experience, when you see developer + land-owner + public body alignment like this, execution becomes real.
If The Promise moves forward as anticipated:
The Southern Avenue corridor could finally shift into a growth node—not just in planning documents, but in actual market terms.
Prince George’s County will gain a transit-oriented community that raises the bar and attracts new retail and services.
For buyers and renters, this means more options in the region, potentially at favorable cost compared to core D.C./NoVa sites.
For investors, it identifies a corridor with upside—where land values, rents and traffic are all poised to move up.
It’s an example of development doing more than adding homes—it reshapes how the surrounding area is perceived, valued, and inhabited.
In short: this is one to watch.
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