BAGEL CITY

REPRIEVE?

ROCKVILLE WALMART

DELAYED UNTIL 2014?

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

There is a potentially shocking development regarding the proposed Walmart on Rockville Pike.

Stephanie Kavadoy of Bagel City - which would be forced to move if the Walmart goes forward - posted the following statement on Rockville Patch yesterday:

"The Walmart project is on hold right now...JBG is looking to renew all of the leases...at the Pike Shopping Center. Bagel City, David's, Cici's, the Office Depot, Goodyear and Catherine's will all remain at the Pike Shopping Center at least until 2014. JBG is also exercising options to plan other projects since so many people object to have (sic) a Walmart on Rockville Pike."

Wow. If this is true, what happened? The county council's "big box" bill failed to gain traction once business leaders heard about it. Council President Roger Berliner wrote an unprecedented letter asking for the project to be stopped.

I have not heard any local media outlet report that the Rockville Walmart proposal had been delayed. So this is certainly breaking news - if true.

Personally, I am in favor of Walmart coming to Rockville and Aspen Hill. The major reason is that I am a Walmart shopper, and currently have to drive up to Germantown (having said that, I do love the Milestone Shopping Center!). Also, Walmarts in both of these locations will help preserve the suburban nature of their respective areas. Rockville and Aspen Hill are not urban areas, despite developers' plans to urbanize them.

There is one simple reason both Walmarts would have traffic issues: the Rockville Freeway was never built. Building this long-delayed road would easily provide the necessary capacity, as both stores are sited about one-and-a-half blocks from planned interchanges of the Rockville Freeway at 355 and Connecticut Avenue.