Chevy Chase Lake on the verge of transformation (Photos)

Chevy Chase Lake rivals Westbard as one of the places in Montgomery County that will be leveled and completely rebuilt with new development, thanks to plans recently passed by the County Council and Planning Board. What is mind-blowing about comparing the two, however, is how much the difference reveals about the ineptness of those two bodies.

Here at Chevy Chase Lake, the planned Purple Line light rail station gave some justification for taller building heights and greater density. But heights at Westbard, where there is no rail transit, will actually exceed the heights allowed at Chevy Chase Lake, which is right at a rail station.

Note building heights:
120' right at the Purple Line
station here; 122' and counting
at Westbard, where there is
no rail transit

Plaza and open space
locations; grey spaces
within building B3 at right
are interior courtyards

Aerial view of Phase 1
construction

Elements designed to activate
the civic open space right
off of Connecticut Avenue

A couple of other things stand out in the plans unveiled by the Chevy Chase Land Company and Bozzuto, partners in the redevelopment of the initial phase of construction here.

Purple Line Plaza. All of that
grey space below the green in
the center? That's how massive
the Purple Line facility
will be

First, get a load of just how wide the Purple Line facility is going to be, with the two tracks, trail and buffers. It is completely different in scale from its earliest days as a one-track train or trolley line. It's commendable that they have planned a Purple Line Plaza, as opposed to just building right up against the station all the way along the facility.

I particularly like
the buildings on the left
and top center of this
slide. Very grand designs
that impart a residential
character

Second, I like the approach the developers have taken to the architecture here. Putting the controversial question of how tall and dense Chevy Chase Lake should have been aside, they are taking inspiration from some of the kinds of residential buildings you would find much further down Connecticut Avenue in the District.

Like many of the great, older apartment buildings in D.C., these sample designs are not only grand and traditional, but have architectural elements that emphasize they are residential in nature. So they have more ornamental rooflines, as opposed to just being a box. I think that is a positive in spots like this and Westbard, where the surroundings are squarely suburban and residential.

While the designs shown in the developers' recent presentation to the community make a few contemporary concessions, they do have elements that capture some of the grand designs you'll find in the District. It's certainly going to help make the final product stand out. Massachusetts Avenue N.W. is another thoroughfare where you can see many older apartment towers in D.C. that, thanks to their architects, haven't lost any of their luster.

What's the timeline here? The developers are hoping for approval from the Planning Board by March of 2017. Shovels will go into the dirt in the first quarter of 2018, if the schedule holds, and delivery of these three buildings is anticipated in the third quarter of 2020.

View from Manor Road
into the new development
down a yet-to-be-named
new street

Some nice architecture of the past will be lost here for sure. The arched openings in the facades of the Chevy Chase Supermarket, and the even-taller ones in the Chevy Chase Lake Centers across the street, come to mind.

Jos. A Bank and T.W. Perry have already cleared out (T.W. Perry has moved to its new location on Brookville Road in Silver Spring). Here's a look at the waning moments of a vintage "last gas" commercial district, which like Montgomery Hills east of here, will soon head into the sunset:

Photos: Robert Dyer
Renderings courtesy Chevy Chase Land Company, Bozzuto, David M. Schwarz Architects, VIKA, Martin Architectural; All rights reserved