Clark Construction is hosting a lunchtime concert series on Fridays this month, on the plaza at Bethesda Metro Center.
Today's performer is the Tony M. Trio. There will be vendors selling food, and a giveaway of free ice cream.
Activities will include life-size Chess and cornhole.
The event is free, and will run from 11:30 AM this morning until 1:30 PM this afternoon.
Next week's artist is Levi Stephens.
20 comments:
Wow Clark must be really desperate.
After all this time Clark all of a sudden cares about this waste of space. If it wasn't for the potential development they'd be content to let that space continue to languish.
Isn't this blog always saying create tall, dense development near transit and leave the places not near transit alone? Well this spot is right next to the Red and Purple lines and maybe BRT. No better place for tall, dense development.
So will it be like their previous event, where it's all squeezed into their small bit of the plaza (Old Georgetown Road side)?
What an underhanded marketing job. Brookfield owns the ground lease. Clark simply doesn't want a tall building as their next door neighbor. Can you imagine if I did a marketing campaign to prevent my neighbor from building a house on their land? Oh the crazy Chevy chase lady who went to freaking jail.
Shame on Clark. What an insult to the good man's name, may he rest in peace.
I saw the crazy Chevy Chase lady last weekend at an outdoor community event at Chevy Chase. She was wandering around quietly and not talking to anyone -- I think she may be a pariah in the community. All she did was make CC the laughing stock of the entire region, especially after the big WashPost article.
Chevy Chase's reputation is low for more reasons than one crazy lady.
Just as long as Greenhill is not involved.
I work in the Clark Building, and I hate this. The buildings surrounding this plaza act as an echo chamber. It's so distracting when you're trying to finish tasks under deadline. And all the bands have been awful, to boot.
Hmmm reading the comments it seems that Clark and Dyer are backing another winner of an idea.
10:18: I have not taken a position on the plaza dispute so far. I may write a post in the future on my opinions about it, and the factors that should determine such a decision. And there's no question that Brookfield owns the land, I don't think that's in dispute.
Clark's propaganda website is even a bit shady on land ownership: "Bethesda Metro Plaza is owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authortity (WMATA). Brookfield Properties holds a ground lease for the plaza which is designated community gathering space in the current sector plan." (from FAQ on Bethesda Metro Park website)
To me, the issue here is property rights. It's Brookfield's property to develop, and it's very under-handed of Clark to propose their own design for land that's not theirs. Property rights are the key to a functioning society and those rights should be upheld.
Hear hear.
So even the Clark building tenants don't want Clark's idea!
How long has Clark been there and not mentioned anything about sprucing up the space? And now that the landowner wants to do something with their own space, Clark suddenly says they'll contribute some money to making it a park instead. Lol. Clark is making a mockery of their name.
Shady move, Clark, shady move. What a classless and underhanded marketing maneuver.
Maybe Clark can move their offices to the new building so they get a better view.
What a backhanded marketing move by Clark. Those flyers and events are so deceiving.
There was a time when it was widely understood that with power comes responsibility. What makes a ruler loved or a despot loathed? Consideration (or lack thereof) for the welfare of those impacted by their decisions.
There was a time when those deciding how to use a parcel of land also actually lived in its viscinity, and development was more personal and connected to the vitality of a community.
It was not so long ago that Sam Eig decided to donate lands for building such infrastructure that would augment the desirability and value of his future envisioned community, Silver Spring. He thought like a member within a community and realized the need for medical care, spiritual places of worship, and more.
What happened? There is such a disconnect today. Yes: Whomever owns it decides it. I know Clark doesn't own this land. But frankly, I loved the plans they drew up. They are, in my powerless opinion, a bit magical. For who can put a price tag, when you are having a draining day, then step outside for a short walk, and find yourself in a whimsical, grassy park rather than a postage stamp-sized bit of green? Sure, we can all live without the Clark plans realized, and with one more concrete tower. We can all be adults and walk the streets maturely, grey upon further grey.
You can't put a price upon the quiet, leafy light that solaces when seen. Life is full of priceless intangibles, yet so much of it gets reduced to that which does fit a price tag. If the park plans that Clark came up with are amazing and would actually brighten the heart of Bethesda for generations to appreciate, then they are good plans, regardless of either Clark's or Brookfield's motives.
You know, it's just one more building. It's always just one more building. Where o where are the Sam Eigs of Today.
This is a city not a Dr. Seuss book.
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