Developer sees idea take off, 50 years later; Mixed-use project begins in PG.(BUSINESS)

Washington Times, The, April, 2006

Byline: Jen Haberkorn, THE WASHINGTON TIMES When Herschel Blumberg roamed his 56 acres of land off East-West Highway in Hyattsville in the early 1950s, he envisioned office buildings and retailers lining his new land. But the county wasn't ready for what was then a radical mix of office and retail in the same space, and the retail flopped.

Now, the tightening Washington real estate market has made mixed-use projects more appealing, and adding retail and residential space to the four office buildings at University Town Center doesn't sound so crazy. "From the very beginning, way back in the '60s, we thought about building a town center," said Mr. Blumberg, 81, president and owner of Prince George's Metro Center Inc. "We tried to do some retail. But it was...