Thursday, July 07, 2016

"Crane of the Year" arrives in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

An unusual celebrity sighting in downtown Bethesda yesterday was the arrival of the "Crane of the Year" at the Cheval Bethesda ultra-luxury condo tower construction site. The Tadano Faun ATF 80-4 was given the honor in 2005 in the 4-axle mobile crane category by the readers of Kran Magazin in Germany.

This crane has an 80 ton capacity and a 48.5 meter boom. For its size and capabilities, you might be surprised as to how fast it can move on the street. Faun was founded in 1845 by Justus Christian Braun in Nuremburg, Germany. Braun was a pioneer in the field of fire engines, starting with horse-drawn vehicles in the 1860s, and moving to motorized trucks after the turn of the century. The firm was acquired by Tadano of Japan in 1990, but the crane is German engineering at its finest.

If the name on the crane sounds familiar, it's because the firm is a Baltimore extension of Bethesda-based Miller and Long. A vice-president at Miller and Long, Roger Arnold, founded the offshoot in the early 1990s. Known for over 200 projects in Baltimore, it's interesting to find one of their cranes over here in Miller and Long territory.

Cheval is being developed by Duball, LLC, and is expected to deliver in 2017. The 17-story tower will house 72 condo units, and 7000 SF of non-residential space. Prices will be ultra-luxury tier indeed: from the $900,000s to over $2.5 million. The site is located at the corner of Fairmont Avenue and Old Georgetown Road.

Let's get an update on the Cheval construction, and more views of the "Crane of the Year":









53 comments:

Poppy said...

One thing about us Bethesdians, we demand and deserve the best! Bravo to the developer for having the eye for detail to bring in a champion crane.

Anonymous said...

Crane of the year... 11 years ago...

Anonymous said...

Really neat and fun story but odd writing of that part.

Anonymous said...

You're trolling us now.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see how excited the nimbys are when some real championship bulldozers roll into their neighborhood to build the new Westwood mixed income housing!

Anonymous said...

Hans Riemer laughs at the puny endowment of that crane!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

@ 9:35 AM -

#Snoribund

Anonymous said...

Win some, lose some. That's how the game works.

Anonymous said...

What has Dyer "won" lately?

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Again. That's how the game works.

I'm sure you post the same things on all the other sites when they are scooped.

Anonymous said...

"The Tadano Faun ATF 80-4 was given the honor in 2005 in the 4-axle mobile crane category by the readers of Kran Magazin in Germany."

Sure, Dyer. You're a regular reader of Kran Magazin

C'mon, what's your source for this info?

#Plagiarism

Anonymous said...

10:52 Let me school you a bit on life in the big city.
You can look up things on Google. I know. Sounds crazy. But it's true. I'll bet you can figure it out too. If you try. Go ahead. You can do it.

Anonymous said...

#DyerForgotToSignIn

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

11:12AM - Oh my. Aren't you witty! Not.
Was that Google thing too difficult for you? Keep trying.

Anonymous said...

Nail on the head, 11:26! News is a good thing, whether first, second or last to report it. Each news outlet has their own style and perspective and it's good to read them all!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

It's really funny comparing their articles on the closure of Louis Vuitton. Dyer's article quickly digressed into an 800-word rant about the MoCo Machine, while The Other Plaice's article actually discusses the ongoing proposal to redevelop that shopping center and replace it with stores that locals would actually patronize.

Anonymous said...

Breaking Bethesda news, for when you want to be the first...

THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN DELETED

B said...

Wow you deleted 11:26? Paranoia dude, Jeeze.

Anonymous said...

This could be Poppies Catherine the Great moment.

Anonymous said...

Looks like all the local blogs/press got scooped by BB this time.

Robert Dyer said...

12:32: Nope, it's a press release, which is never a scoop. The problem is, whoever mailed out the press release didn't bother to find out who the media outlets were in the area before hitting "send."

Anonymous said...

Maybe they just don't consider you a "media outlet".

Anonymous said...

"This could be Poppies Catherine the Great moment."

A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And no one can talk to a horse of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mister Ed.

Go right to the source and ask the horse
He'll give you the answer that you'll endorse.
He's always on a steady course.
Talk to Mister Ed.

People yakkity-yak a streak and waste your time of day
But Mr. Ed will never speak unless he has something to say.

A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And this one'll talk 'til his voice is hoarse.
You never heard of a talking horse?

Well listen to this: "I am Mister Ed".

Anonymous said...

"People yakkity-yak a streak and waste your time of day
But Mr. Ed will never speak unless he has something to say."

Dyer could learn a thing or two from Mr. Ed.

Robert Dyer said...

12:42: A 7-days-a-week news site with the highest engagement numbers in the Bethesda market is not a media outlet? WTF?

Anonymous said...
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Robert Dyer said...

12:58: I've contacted both parties and have been awaiting their response. You can't write a story without the information (unless you have ESP, like one of the competing news outlets in town).

Anonymous said...

Please tell me one person that has officially quoted you. I'm not talking about linking to a to a development project write-up, but has actually referenced your "political insight."

I don't know how you expect people to take you seriously when you post these vitriolic, opinionated, unsubstantiated rants, and then call it "news." I've read many personal insults aimed at politicians and others in your stories.

"the highest engagement numbers"
yeah ok

Anonymous said...

1:00PM - Why do you care? There are going to be people who like Dyer. That's how life works.

Robert Dyer said...

1:00: I've been quoted numerous times. Are you claiming that only an "attaboy" from a corrupt politician counts? No, I don't many of those, because I'm not part of the County political machine. Which is why people read and trust this blog.

Yep, highest engagement numbers. People spend more time on my site than the competing site. Likely because my output isn't just clickbait tweets and purchased exposures on Facebook and Twitter.

Blue checkmarks can be purchased from Twitter for $13000. And "verification" was proven meaningless when Twitter allowed a local site to migrate followers from another account, without their permission. Basically, anyone could buy a verified account of one entity, and then start publishing hate speech or something. Not secure. Not verified.

Elm said...

One sour guy can't seem to give up his hate of Dyer. Sour angry anonymous guy never addresses the genesis of his obsession with Dyer.

Anonymous said...

1:10/1:15

The only one who has an obsession with Dyer is you. Of course, you're probably Dyer posting anonymously. Seriously who sits on their computer all day to respond to every single comment remotely critical of Dyer or any of this site's content. The only possibilities I can fathom is that you are either you're in a relationship with him (or want to be) or you are him.

Anonymous said...

We're not all the same person, 1:38. I posted at 12:32 and again at 1:10. I just make observations and ask questions.

You folks are the ones reading intent into it.

Anonymous said...

It's very plausible that Dyer's site is the #1 site in Bethesda. His articles get many more comments than other sites.

I still don't know why he deleted every comment in this thread mentioned the opening of Target, including mine. I wasn't criticizing him at all -- I was complaining that Target chose a poor location for the store (parking situation).

Elm said...

1:38pm if you talk about how your obsession with Dyer started, it may help your illness. Your pain runs deep: share your pain with us.

Elm said...

Dyer has the most passionate and engaged readers. I don't agree with all the comments, but Dyer is providing us a safe, well lit environment to discuss.

Anonymous said...

Dyer - waiting for an investigative report on the 8200 Wisconsin construction debacle.

Robert Dyer said...

3:29: If residents can email me at robert [at] robertdyer [dot] net, I'll be delighted to investigate. I have written quite a few stories related to the building, but it's private property and somebody who isn't a resident can't just barge in. I need people who can come forward with information.

Anonymous said...

Dyer needs an engraved invitation to investigate the news.

Anonymous said...

I spit on your soul Dyer. You are not welcome in this county.

Elm said...

5:47pm you're in pain. Share your pain with us. It may help your condition.

Anonymous said...

@ 5:59 PM is practicing psychiatry without a license.

Elm said...

5:47pm needs to take the first step in exposing his inner pain. It runs deep.

Anonymous said...

Let's hear it for the sidewalk law. Is that still a thing? The builder hasn't provided alternative pedestrian access or posted any signs.

Anonymous said...

Investigate by posting serious allegations without ever asking the offending party.

Anonymous said...

So you're saying all those times Dyer and his supporters accuse the anti-Dyer commentors as being one lone troll that they are reading too much into it too?

Anonymous said...

Btw "highest engagement numbers" - can you qualify that? Unique visitors? Certainly you wouldn't count just page views.

Elm said...

It appears we were lied to...again. There's nothing posted about the Fairmont sidewalk closure per the sidewalk law.

I think MoCo put up the official sign over on Battery as a PR stunt. This shows they're not serious about enforcement. Meanwhile, they'll threaten small businesses downtown about their sandwich board signs..lol.