Sunday, August 09, 2015

UFC Gym building getting a makeover in Bethesda

The building that most recently housed UFC Gym and L.A. Boxing on Cordell Avenue is getting an updated facade. About a week ago, I found a permit request to Montgomery County to add 5 windows to the building. Now I've found a bit more information on the project on the website of local architecture firm Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc., which is orchestrating a growing number of projects in downtown Bethesda.

SJKAIA has been hired by Greenhill Capital to design the window addition, which will also involve a code modification request related to Montgomery County fire code. I was not aware of this, but apparently, the proximity of your side wall to the property line determines how much of your wall can be "unprotected" - such as how many square feet can be taken up by glass. In the case of the UFC building, the 5 windows will be in the side wall.

The project is expected to be completed by October of this year.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a waste. All of Greenhill's one or two story projects in an area where density is highly desirable. Sure the Karr buildings are better than what was generally there before, but each of these buildings delays the bigger picture development of Bethesda by years.

Anonymous said...

Not Greenhill , it's the county and their policies regarding the parking lots that hyphenate the Greenhill properties without which, the prospective building projects are not functional and compromised. Additionally, the new master plan is not effective at this time. Spikes/holdouts in assemblages such as this are visible everywhere, DC, NYC, Atlantic City !

Anonymous said...

Nothing says UFC like a couple crappy cardio machines in the front window.

Anonymous said...

Another Greenhill property? No wonder it's been struggling.

@ 6:34 AM - Good morning, Lenny.

Anonymous said...

@ 6:46 AM - The crappy Aldon apartment buildings across the street from Petsmart have better equipment in their gym than this one.

Anonymous said...

They had a boxing ring at UFC...hold over from the LA Boxing days.

Anonymous said...

So you are saying Greenhill doesn't do something big because Montgomery county won't sell him their little parking lots? Otherwise he would?

Anonymous said...

Greenberg buys up several small lots separated by parking lots, then whines that it's somehow the County's fault.

Anonymous said...

Other developments like the one coming to Woodmont was able to wrest away a large surface parking lot, lot 43. Greenhill just doesn't want to pay the asking price.

Anonymous said...

whats the asking price?

Steve D. said...

"Anonymous Anonymous said...
What a waste. All of Greenhill's one or two story projects in an area where density is highly desirable. Sure the Karr buildings are better than what was generally there before, but each of these buildings delays the bigger picture development of Bethesda by years.

5:35 AM"

What's wrong with 1-2 story buildings? They lend the neighborhood diversity and Bethesda's inviting non-urban feel.

Anonymous said...

Bethesda is an urban area, whether we like it or not. By Dyer's own arguments, it's a metro centric community able to support lots of office, housing, and commercial spaces.

Those complaining of high rents need big developments of underused land to bring more housing units into the area. Stockpiling property just drives up property prices of available lots and housing prices up with it.