The developer also announced its first lease, after many months of struggling in Montgomery County's abysmal office market. It's not quite the prize that Intelsat would have been, as small business-financing firm RapidAdvance is simply moving from its existing Bethesda office to the new building. It will occupy a full floor at 4500, according to the Washington Business Journal.
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After county officials fumbled Intelsat's interest in being the anchor tenant at 4500, the firm instead became the latest to choose Northern Virginia, with its friendlier business climate and Tysons' direct access to highways and Dulles International Airport.
115 comments:
Bad as the commercial real estate market in downtown Bethesda may be, it's worse in Virginia:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2014/09/21/is-this-rock-bottom-for-virginia-real-estate-office-owners-can-only-hope/
...they sign a tenant within a couple days of finishing construction and Dyer still complains. No wonder people troll the hell out of this guy.
Shh, 7:06. Facts are not welcome here. Only hyperbole and purposefully incendiary blog posts about how terrible MoCo is are allowed.
Anonymous commentators on this blog are the only people who think the Bethesda office market is booming.
Every developer starts their public meetings for their latest residential high rise talking about how moribund the office market is in Bethesda.
What do you know that the land owners and developers don't? Let's get real...this isn't Robert's opinion, it's what every land owner and developer says.
These comments are pretty on point. They also broke ground on a brand new office building in the Park Potomac mixed use development because they signed 2 new tenants. Meanwhile the brand new office tower in Rosslyn has been sitting empty for a Year! Sounds like a horrible office market in MoCo to me (Sarcasm).
No, seriously, how does Dyer say "After county officials fumbled Intelsat's interest in being the anchor tenant at 4500" with a straight face? The company has previously stated MoCo and VA both put together similar tax break packages and that the buildings and locations were comparable in expenses. The two reasons the Tysons site was selected - according to Intelsat itself: 1. proximity to Dulles was the largest factor. They're a Luxembourg-based company. 2. since they were moving from DC-proper and had employees scattered throughout the region, they felt they had to go with the more car-centric option of Tysons.
Neither of these reasons have anything to do with the Montgomery County government so it'd be nice if Dyer explained himself a bit in his post instead of just lobbing around shit and pretending like it has a factual basis.
"Anonymous commentators on this blog are the only people who think the Bethesda office market is booming."
Congrats on beating up that strawman, Woodmont. If you care to ever have a real conversation, feel free to join the rest of us in reality. Right now, it sounds like you're having fun out in left field with Dyer and his inane, unsupported claims.
Dyer's definitely just fucking with us all. He purposefully throws grenades to get people to jump in and point out how stupid he sounds. It makes him feel special that in addition to 20 votes he can also garner 20 comments if he says something ignorant enough that it gets everyone in a tizzy.
I can tell you right now that they're going to have a skateboarding problem in that plaza.
Guys, I'm just stating what every developer has said when proposing all of the residential buildings in downtown Bethesda the past couple of years.
Bob Dalrymple claimed that Bainbridge had to build residential on their new Wisconsin Ave. site near the Metro since there isn't demand for office in downtown Bethesda.
I thought McDonalds was supposed to return to that location?
"Guys, I'm just stating what every developer has said when proposing all of the residential buildings in downtown Bethesda the past couple of years."
Right. Of course everyone knows the office market in the region (and nation) is weak. What everyone finds dumb is how Dyer tries to blame it on the MoCo government. As already cited, NoVa's office vacancy issues are much, much worse than anything we've ever seen in Bethesda.
Bethesda has the lowest vacancy rate of any submarket in the region; the fact Dyer's blaming that on the MoCo government doesn't make any sense on a whole host of levels.
Northern Virginia's office market is actually in terrible shape, as other commenters have mentioned. Bethesda has a lower vacancy rate than every single submarket in NoVA. Maryland could certainly do better to attract business (eg. Hilton, CEB, Intelsat, Northrop Grumman, Bechtel), but for Dyer to make outlandish claims that Montgomery's climate is "abysmal" while implying that Northern Virginia's market is booming is ridiculous and extremely misleading.
Here are some facts for you to digest, since they seem to be in short supply on this blog:
- 1812 North Moore in Rosslyn, the region's largest office building at 35 stories and 585,000 sq ft, doesn't have a single square foot leased and has sat empty for two years. This, despite a direct link to IAD via I-66(!)
- CEB's move into a new office tower in Rosslyn is going to dump an additional 300,000 sq ft of empty space onto the market
- There are 40 office buildings in Northern Virginia that are either completely empty or less than 1 percent occupied, thirteen of them are on Route 28 near Dulles airport(!)
- Office vacancy rate* for Bethesda: 9.7%
- Office vacancy rates* for NoVA's largest markets:
Crystal/Pentagon Cities-20.8%
Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor-17.6% Tysons-15.1%
Reston-13.3%
(* from Sept. 2014 Transwestern Market Watch report)
At the same time, leasing has started to pick up in Mont. County. Some highlights from this year:
- Foulger-Pratt broke ground last month on it's second office building in Park Potomac and it already has 2 out of 6 floors leased
- Merrill-Lynch signed a lease for half of the office space in FRIT's Pike & Rose months prior to delivery
- 7550 Wisconsin Ave leases up to 65% occupied practically overnight
- 4500 E-W Hwy signs it's first tenant immediately after delivery
Despite the promising market movement, no one is any any delusions that the Montgomery Co office market has fully (or even substantially) recovered, but it's definitely marginally healthier than that of your beloved Virginia.
These aren't even new trends, this has been the case for the last couple of years. On top of the struggling NoVA office market struggling, the suburban sfh for-sale market that you seem to cherish is beginning to struggle as well. At the state level, the governor announced a $2.4 billion budget shortfall, which is a huge blow to the state's financial health.
Don't take my word for this though. Click on the links I posted above as well as the following. Honestly, from all the unsubstantiated nonsense on some of these blog posts, it's now wonder that most of the "reporting" is based on personal opinion and anecdotal evidence. Sourcing a credible, journal/news outlet once in a while wouldn't be a bad thing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2014/09/21/is-this-rock-bottom-for-virginia-real-estate-office-owners-can-only-hope/
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/morning_call/2014/09/numbers-dont-lie-virginia-commercial-real-estate.html
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/morning_call/2014/01/arlington-may-offer-leasing-incentives.html
Please pardon the grammatical errors above. The post was written in a hurry.
This conversation speaks volumes to previous discussions about Dyer. His blog is a fun and interesting read, with lots of great scoops. However, taken as a hard news source it fails in that Dyer injects far too much opinion over facts and then gets in a huff when readers debate his points. If everyone (Dyer included) would just relax and take it as it is, we'd all get along a lot better here. It's a blog. Enjoy it. Or don't and don't be here. .
If Robert would just cozy up to the Council, his job would be easier and we could praise him.
Wasn't McDonalds supposed to come back in as a ground floor restaurant in that building?
Regardless of current office vacancy rates, the fact remains that Montgomery County struggles to attract large employers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but over the past decade I don't believe the County has succeeded in bringing in any new Fortune 500 companies. It's a grim state of affairs when companies like Hilton and Northrup Grumman are consistently choosing VA over us. Not to mention the County's barely halfhearted attempt to pursue the new FBI HQ.
I'm surprised that Robert hasn't started any hysteria over Ebola.
You know, with those big new movie theaters opening in Montgomery Mall and South Rockville Mall, er, Pike & Rose. Can you say "vector"?
10:29AM: Federal Realty and City of Rockville can both confirm that Pike & Rose is not in Rockville :)
Steve D. - I hardly think mimicking VA and their strategy of handing out massive subsidies and tax waivers is a good idea; just look at the over $2 BILLION dollar hole its put them in.
As for Fortune 500 companies, we've "home grown" them during that time - that counts, right? Of course everyone always wants more, but the reality is there's only 500 of them and they hardly ever move. It's nothing more than a status symbol, which is important, but marginally so.
Not pursuing the FBI and throwing our support behind PG was definitely a good idea, IMO. MoCo wasting a massive swath of land near its valuable metro stations doesn't make sense. Putting it near one of PG's many undeveloped stations would be a win for all involved.
Does Dyer trespass on every construction site in the area?
I've been wondering whether McDonalds would want to return to East West.
Is there enough foot traffic around there?
Steve D. - please share with us your thoughts on where you think FBI should be located in Montgomery County.
10:37AM: If you lived in Bethesda, you'd know that this building isn't a construction site anymore.
The sidewalks and plaza are open.
From Robert's photos, the retail spaces inside appear to be unfinished, waiting for whoever leases them.
7:27: Check my article again - I clearly mentioned Dulles and highway access as the major reasons. Those are the challenges we're up against thanks to the county's failure to build a bridge to Dulles, and complete our highway system. For that, and their "Tommy Boy"-inspired salesmanship, they indeed shoulder full blame for failing to attract Intelsat, or any other major firm, in over a decade. All facts.
Don't ask me or Woodmont - ask Greg Trimmer of JBG, who said this is the worst Montgomery County office market in 30 years. Donohoe is switching an office project to residential, as has JBG, in Bethesda, to name a few. Just the facts, ma'am.
7:32: Only a county political operative or campaign staffer would describe facts as ignorance. Even the developers aren't with you on this one.
10:32 Fortune 500 or other major corporations are more than just status symbols. They provide thousands of high-wage jobs, and create other supporting jobs and businesses nearby. We're not home-growing anything in this county but retail and restaurant jobs.
8:19 Sounds like the mumbo jumbo studios use when a movie bombs. "The biggest R-rated movie to open on an odd-number Friday in June of an odd-numbered leap-year since Batman Returns!" Hilton, Northrop, Intelsat, CEB, Volkswagen - you didn't get a single one of them. The "terrible" office market of Northern Virginia did.
7:06 It's so "bad" in Virginia that Northrop, Volkswagen, Hilton, CEB, and Intelsat all chose it over MoCo.
7:21 JBG signed CEB headquarters to its Rosslyn tower. 2000 high-wage jobs + 800 new jobs that average $100,000 in salary. Humiliating for MoCo, which today specializes in barista, waitstaff, and jeans-folding retail jobs. (Not sarcasm)
8:32 You question that MoCo's business climate is abysmal? Not one single major corporation has moved here in over a decade! For the first time in history, no chamber of commerce in the entire county has endorsed any of the incumbent councilmembers. That's an astonishing vote of no-confidence by our business community, and speaks volume about our truly abysmal business climate. Merrill Lynch is just shuffling jobs from existing offices, much like the new 4500 tenant. 7550's lease-up was anything but overnight, and the building was designed for major corporate tenants, not the more modest ones being signed to small floor areas there now.
The Council's policies do have an effect on whether businesses want to move here.
If the Council makes it difficult for Uber to operate, that impacts businesses (many of whom have ditched legacy taxi services)
If the schools continue to be over crowded and show an achievement gap, that impacts whether businesses want to move here.
The list goes on...
Absolutely correct, Steve.
8:57 Everything on here is either fact, or opinion based on fact. I agree everyone should relax and enjoy the blog, and the site analytics suggest more people are doing so every week.
12:47 Yeah - the Council is out of touch with today's world. They're planning to make it more difficult and costly for Uber to operate here, to help protect the old-school MoCo taxi monopoly. No millennials support paying more for Uber, or using an old-fashioned taxi. But wait, there's more! The Council also wants to give additional kickbacks to Barwood, including letting them use older taxis. What a contrast to Uber, which requires drivers to have newer vehicles.
Tell us about 1812 N Moore, Robert.
If things continue, we're at risk of becoming a bedroom community to DC and Northern VA.
This is my theory on what happened:
A lot of focus has been on White Flint in the past several years, but that caused county leaders and planners to take their eye off the ball (downtown Bethesda). They fumbled downtown Bethesda, their crown jewel.
We're just now looking to revise the downtown Bethesda plan, but it's late in the game.
White Flint was going to be the county's new downtown, but expectations have been lowered. It's not what we were promised: a true downtown where folks could work and live.
The office buildings have been cut back. White Flint will still have great movie theater, restaurants and shops, but that wasn't what we were sold.
Meanwhile, downtown Bethesda languished, having to share county services to try and get White Flint going.
1:14 Correct. Without high-wage jobs and major corporate headquarters in White Flint, it is a failure in terms of smart growth. Without adding high-wage jobs throughout the county, we are simply overloading the roads and Metro with DC/VA-bound commuters. It was the county's own representative who said White Flint couldn't compete with Tysons without annexation of part of the City of Rockville - which was rebuffed by Rockville, not surprisingly.
The arrogance of the county was breathtaking this year when they tried to pull Twinbrook into White Flint by fiat.
City of Rockville wisely pushed back and pushed back hard.
The county didn't bother to contact the Twinbrook Citizen's Association to float this scheme by them.
Twinbrook is an historic neighborhood, not a pawn in some developer's marketing scheme.
Dyer, you didn't actually respond to any of the points anyone made. And your comment that "we're not home-growing anything in this county but retail and restaurant jobs" makes you sound beyond ignorant.
Just recently it was announced Discovery Communications in Silver Spring is now a Fortune 500 company. That's, definitionally, a company in MoCo that grew and grew and grew and now is one of your precious F500s you always talk about. That must drive you nuts to see companies in MoCo thrive.
Sorry, that dog won't hunt.
Robert is a life long resident of MoCo and wants to see it thrive. That's why he's involved in the community and part of the process. Meanwhile, you're commenting anonymously on one of the local news sites that he publishes.
"Robert is a life long resident of MoCo and wants to see it thrive. That's why he's involved in the community and part of the process. Meanwhile, you're commenting anonymously on one of the local news sites that he publishes."
Huh? I'm sure Dyer will admit the point of this blog is to complain and denigrate MoCo (in addition to review crap food no one over the age of 8 eats). And calling this blog a "local news site" is so absurd I literally laughed out loud.
FOURTH picture from top, I meant.
I hope you apologize to to Del Frisco, Bold Bite, Smashburger, Dunkin/Baskin Robbins on Cordell, etc for calling their food that Robert reviewed crap. Why do you hate Bethesda restaurants?
Robert is Bethesda's top restaurant critic, bar none. The Post and Gazette rarely cover Bethesda restaurants. Robert has it covered for us.
Are you still sore that Robert was invited to the Del Frisco VIP party and you weren't?
"I hope you apologize to to Del Frisco, Bold Bite, Smashburger, Dunkin/Baskin Robbins on Cordell, etc for calling their food that Robert reviewed crap. Why do you hate Bethesda restaurants?"
wtf are you talking about? Obviously the comment was in reference to all of Dyer's youtube clips he posts of the funky ass junk food he reviews. Are you new here or something?
10:19 Looks like you're busted again for your latest criticism of Bethesda businesses. I have indeed reviewed many restaurants in Bethesda - including those mentioned by 8:40 PM - and now you are claiming "no one over the age of 8 eats" that food. Oops. Another PR disaster for the MoCo Machine. You're on-message with George Leventhal, though. In 2010, he said there weren't any great restaurants in Bethesda, and that he has to go to Tysons for good restaurants. Some supporter of local Bethesda businesses George Leventhal is! By the way, how is George doing? Did you know he didn't have the guts to show up at a debate scheduled by the Greater Olney Civic Association Monday night? Clearly, he really cares about his constituents in Olney.
3:20: What does the status of an existing company like Discovery have to do with the issue of no major corporations moving to Montgomery County in over a decade?
6:25 Wake up and smell the coffee time. This is a hyperlocal news site. Get over it. Your beloved County Council feels the same way about Uber as you do about this site. They want to stop it, and protect their Jurassic Park political patronage machine. Don't #FightTheFuture like Hans and George! Be the change!
The MoCo machine knows you're a joke. Pathetic. You will never hold office anywhere.
George and I laugh at your pathetic attempts to be relevant! We went out to Tysons last week and had food you only wish you could afford.
Enjoy being irrelevant.
A "hyperlocal" site that spends 2/3 of its time covering South Rockville Mall and Beane Post Office Mall. (AKA "Pike & Rose" and "Montgomery Mall").
And I note that you are trying to cover up your peeing on the sidewalk of 4500 before you took the fourth picture from the top of this article.
#TINKLEGATE
The MoCo Council at large members pissed off Olney citizens when they boycotted Monday's debate.
Word from Olney is that Reimer and Leventhal attended a party instead. No doubt they're working hard on the night time economy
Screw those poor people in Olney! We care about rich people.
The MoCo machine represents the best and brightest not the poor and blightest!
Are you really asserting that Montgomery Mall is not in Bethesda?
Isn't 20817 a Bethesda zip? If not,
Someone needs to tell folks who bought homes over there that they live in Beane, not Bethesda.
Dyer clearly avoiding talking about 1812 N Moore because it doesn't help his arguments.
Is there any way to get Dyer committed? He clearly is an unstable mess of a person.
Suck it Dyer. SUCK it. Suck IT! SuCk It! sUcK iT!
Enough with the nasty comments!!!!! Ugh!
Bethesda is ranked #6 in the COUNTRY according to "2014 Best Places for Veterans: Mid-Career"
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2014/10/29/bethesda-baltimore-rate-high-for-veteran-job.html
No, you are. Get a life and stop obsessing about Robert.
Hahahaha whatever.
It always happens. Bob wins the debate, then you respond with nasty insults. Sad.
I give you credit though: at least you show up daily to debate, unlike George and Hans who were too scared to debate Bob in Olney.
Sad you have to resort to such disgusting language, you might want to change your tone if you want to be taken seriously. Stay classy!
These are the nasty folks who associate with George and Hans sadly.
You saw how nasty Leventhal got with that poor staff member when he couldn't get his Windows 2000 PC to boot up.
1:06 AM: Aside from your childish, perverse comment re: 4500 (if you have any position of power in MoCo, the County is indeed in trouble) - wake up: every Bethesda media outlet covers those malls. What is Beane Post Office? I've never even heard anyone but you refer to it.
Great news about veteran's employment in Bethesda.
You do know that the current MoCo council tried to push out Lockheed, one of the Bethesda firms that supports USAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's "Hiring Our Heroes" program?
12:31PM is correct. Lockheed is one of the top corporations participating in the "Hiring Our Heroes" veteran's program.
Flashback to 2011: The MoCo Council attempts to pass legislation to outlaw war and rebuke Lockheed, one of Bethesda's top employers.
According to the Post, Delegate Frick and other responsible adult officials had to call MoCo council members and tell them to knock it off or else we'd lose Lockheed.
Bob continues to avoid talking about 1812 N Moore or vacancy rates in VA because they go against his argument.
Who's not showing up to the debate now?
I have ALL the power Robert Dyer and you know it. Enjoy basking in my GLOW.
How much does it grind your gears knowing I abuse drugs, cheat on my spouse, and yet am loved and ELECTED all the time Dyer.
You have zero control. My minions have successfully harassed you and it won't stop. It never will.
For I have the Money. The Power. The Leadership to control this county and thereby control your pathetic sad life.
"It always happens. Bob wins the debate, then you respond with nasty insults. Sad."
Yeah, right. Bob didn't even attempt to debate the 40 legitimate responses on here. All he does is sidestep and pretend like his opinions haven't been totally and completely debunked by all the facts outlined by readers. That's cool you're his mom and support him and such, but please don't pretend like he's winning any debates around here. He's contributing about as much to this thread as the troll does.
Speaking of side-steps: Any ideas why the council side-stepped meeting with citizens in Olney Monday night?
lol @ 1:35 PM. Dyer literally called me "the MoCo Machine" earlier - he honestly believes there are people out to get him, I guess. Apparently because he's such a political powerhouse! lol. I really, really hope Dyer goes back to neighborhood news sans uneducated slant after the election. He'd be a halfway decent neighborhood blogger (what we're all here for) if he'd just stop setting shit on fire every day with his purposefully incendiary shitbombs going off.
Huh?!
1:35 You sound like a raving lunatic. I think most readers sensibly have concluded same, and are not persuaded by the juvenile, vulgar rantings of a cowardly Anonymous poster.
1:38: Which of my arguments did you debunk? That no major corporation moved here in over a decade? That the office market is abysmal in Bethesda (just ask JBG and Donohoe, who have just swapped office for residential)? That 4500+7550 don't have the large corporate anchors they were originally planned for? You were defeated on every one of those points. I won the debate Monday night, and your losers didn't even have the guts to show up. The president of GOCA said your candidates showed "weak character" in blowing off the debate. Embarrassing.
Your same stale talking point. "Great, fun blog, but not serious news." Only a political stooge would claim the completion of a building in the neighborhood isn't neighborhood news.
1:56: Hopefully whichever moron is paying you to sit around posting these comments all day will have the humanity to get you the professional help your comments suggest you need. And Leventhal and Riemer think your vulgar comments on here are winning them votes?
3:20 Just ignore that guy, he's obviously being paid to post these troll comments. Only someone being paid would actually support old-school taxi monopolies and companies choosing Virginia over MoCo.
Alright, Dyer. I'm sorry to say, but you're officially delusional. No one on here is paid to discredit you. You go very, very far out of you way to do that yourself. There are no political operatives out there trying to lower your vote count from 900 to 800 votes. Not in a million years would you show up on the radar of county councilmember. More people probably write-in Homer Simpson than vote for Robert "Halloween Lunchables" Dyer. If you honestly think people are out to get you, please seek help.
Alright, Dyer. I'm sorry to say, but you're officially delusional. No one on here is paid to discredit you. You go very, very far out of you way to do that yourself. There are no political operatives out there trying to lower your vote count from 900 to 800 votes. Not in a million years would you show up on the radar of county councilmember. More people probably write-in Homer Simpson than vote for Robert "Halloween Lunchables" Dyer. If you honestly think people are out to get you, please seek help.
Alright, the Olney debate showed that regular MoCo residents don't show up on the council's radar either...unless you have paid lobbyists like Barwood has.
Meanwhile, we have all of the same issues in Bethesda not being addressed: lack of pedestrian safety, lack of jobs for millenials, attempts to block Uber, etc.
The folks trying to prop up Barwood and our arcane liquor laws truly need to seek help.
The Council has been very good at banning things: Uber, war, panhandling, bags, and styrofoam.
They're not so good at building stuff.
7:13: I never said anyone was "out to get me," you did. The fact is, there is no average citizen or reader who is passionate about county elected officials and their abysmal record on economic development and transportation. Only someone being paid could be enthusiastically defending failure and mediocrity. The average citizen is not concerned about steering people away from the devastating truth and facts being reported by this blog, nor do they have the time you put in to post comments day in and day out. You tried, you've failed. Go back and tell your boss(es) to get you a different job. Nobody believes you're an average reader, because nobody cares so much about ensuring a bunch of hacks get back on the council for another 4 years to legislate on Styrofoam, puppy sales, lawn care and every other ridiculous proposal these clowns are going to put forward. Aren't you embarrassed that your guys are so gutless, they couldn't even show up to the debate? If I'm the irrelevant fool you claim I am, why didn't they just show up to the debate and prove it? In fact, they were scared to death and ran away. Read the Gazette. The GOCA president said your guys have "weak character." An actual civic leader said that, not some anonymous political staff member posting childish comments on a news blog.
@Dyer - You seriously think I'm paid by the government to comment on this blog post? You are so fucking nuts it's scary. You also apparently think I comment way more than I do; I never even heard of you or this blog before a couple months ago when BethesdaNow cited you in an article they wrote.
Seriously, Dyer, you might need some mental help. No one on here is trying to "get you" and there isn't a government conspiracy to discredit you. I am absolutely not trying to make a joke out of this. Please talk to someone.
I concur. And he will think this is the same commenter.
Way to gloss over the deficit in your response.
The language was dumb but Bob never really won any debate here.
And yet again, Dyer chooses to avoid talking about Northern VA vacancy rates since it goes against his argument that VA is amazing and Bethesda is abysmal. He only responds to comments where he can respond by victimizing himself.
I love coming to the comments on here. It's the only place I can get sunny, positive news about the MoCo office market.
What do you anonymous guys know that JBG and Donohoe don't?
I want Dyer to get a job or get committed. He is spreading around delusions and victimhood.
What a piece of work!
I'm #100!!!!!
Leventhal was having delusions and victimhood when he screamed at MoCo staff about his Windows 2000 PC problem. Call the Geek Squad next time!
I am too lazy to read all 102 comments, but I found a news story from the summer saying that McDonald's was out of the project.
But but but they have McDonald's in VIRGINIA!!!1!
According to the Post, MoCo Dem incumbents say FU to Olney residents.
That's also basically what they've said to downtown Bethesda residents. We're not getting attention to our issues.
1:05 AM: I never said you were being "paid by the government," I said you are being paid by someone to post comments on here all day. No ordinary person on the street is defending the worst aspects of Montgomery County. That's why they have to hire PR firms to crush Uber, because no actual resident is enthusiastic about county taxicabs. Anyone with common sense recognizes someone regularly defending failure must be getting something to do so. The only way you can prove you are aren't a political operative is to finally reveal your true identity. Are you scared of facing the public like George Leventhal and Hans Riemer were Monday night in Olney. Scared of debating Robert Dyer - and you say I need help? Read about it in the Post and Gazette. The civic association says your guys have "weak character" and did Olney a "disservice" by avoiding the scheduled debate. Reveal yourself, if you're not a coward like them.
5:46: If you're not the same guy, then tell us who you are, and name one major corporation that moved its headquarters to Montgomery County in the last 10 years.
6:40: You mean delusions like Hans Riemer claiming in 2010 that he saved Social Security, and was personally responsible for Barack Obama's victory. Should Hans Riemer be committed? More importantly, was he even acting Youth Director when Obama won in November 2008?
What are "county taxicabs"?
Barwood is a private company.
Leventhal is so behind the times, he thinks the FDA is an innovation hub, and that Uber is a taxi company.
3:57: No kidding, but they are still county taxicabs like Sun Cab and other private firms.
I'm not sure what you mean by "they are still county taxicabs..." As in they are regulated by the county? Would appreciate a clarification, thanks, because your statements imply they are county owned because of your possessive grammar.
Robert Dyer, can you please compare the vacancy rates of Northern VA submarkets compared to Bethesda? Thanks
Brad, I mean they are taxis licensed by and operating in Montgomery County. For example, Diamond Cab is not a taxi you can hail in Montgomery County. The Council is trying to regulate a different transportation model - Uber - using taxi regulations. Their plan is to make Uber more expensive for us, the citizens, and make life easier for an unpopular taxi company - their end goal being the eventual bankruptcy of Uber, and the preservation of taxis, which by definition are quasi-public transportation in most large cities due to heavy political involvement in their operations.
6:48: Can you ask Greg Trimmer of JBG, Bob Dalrymple and The Donohoe Companies about just how magically, marvellously stellar the "great" office market is in Bethesda right now? They all disagree with your rosy assessment.
wtf, Dyer, address the questions or admit you're wrong and/or uneducated. Giving bullshit non-answers over and over again makes you look incredibly stupid.
Justin, which questions have I not addressed?
Apparently Robert thinks that Uber is somehow not a taxi company. Why is that?
3:25 AM: Uber is not a taxi company. It is a ride-sharing service.
what about a resturant? Mcdonalds was not welcome, maybe an italian resturant, mexican, chinese...right now the building is up, but the inside is not even close for tennants to move in? no bathrooms, electrical, dry wall, fixtures....It won't be ready until spring 2015 at this rate...why hasn't the other side of Pearl been fixed? Finding tennants on a one way street is going to be hard. I don't think the investors thought this project out. Just another high rise to go along with the high rise on Wisc that has no tennants too. Probably also has to do with the high rent being charged?
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