Asbestos removal to begin at doomed Bethesda office building today

Asbestos removal is scheduled to begin today at 4733 Bethesda Avenue, an office building slated to be torn down to make way for a more modern one. The asbestos project will continue through November, according to a State of Maryland document.

The demolition of of 4733 Bethesda Avenue is part of a major redevelopment project on that block by property owner The JBG Companies. In addition to a renovation at JBG's Artery Plaza building next door at 7200 Wisconsin Avenue, which included a new entrance and demolition of an arch at the future World of Beer restaurant, a two-story retail/restaurant building with rooftop dining feature will be part of the 14-story 4747 Bethesda Avenue office tower. Construction of that smaller building is nearing completion now.

4747 Bethesda Avenue
(Courtesy JBG/Shalom Baranes Associates)

4733 Bethesda will likely be the tallest structure to be demolished in the history of Bethesda, by my recollection. If you recall a taller one, you can post it in the comments below.

The new office building will have 280,000 SF of office space, and 7000 SF of retail. Shalom Baranes Associates is the architecture firm. Given that Shalom Baranes is also designing the redevelopment of 7272 Wisconsin Avenue adjacent to this, there's a real opportunity for a cohesive reimagining of a major portion of this square block.