The premises combine municipal services, University of Maryland offices, retail space and a large public plaza.

The old building, inaugurated in 1959, could not meet the increased demand for city services as College Park developed, leading to hallways and corridors being used as office and storage space and city departments being spread across several different buildings.

[6] The building is four stories tall and it initially dedicates 33,000 square feet for the city government offices, council chambers, an atrium and community meeting space, 45,000 square feet for the University of Maryland offices, and 7,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.

[7] The council chambers have a nine-foot seal that is visible from outside the building and can be lit up.

This plaza holds music performances, markets, and city events throughout the year[9][10] that have contributed towards the revitalization of College Park's downtown.