PR battle over future of Bethesda Metro Center plaza continues (Photos)

Dueling concerts. Coffee and donuts. Artworks being created live as commuters pass by. The fight to win hearts and minds over the future of the plaza at Bethesda Metro Center could spawn an arts and entertainment district all by itself.

Brookfield owns the rights to develop the plaza, and has plans for a building of up to 290' tall that would frame and separate from noisy traffic a new central park. Their development plans also include restaurants and retail to activate the space. They've created a campaign called Bethesda Connected to promote the project.

Not so fast, says Clark Enterprises, whose headquarters currently has prime visibility on the plaza. Clark has launched a campaign, Protect Bethesda Open Space, that has appealed to concerns by residents that there is a lack of parkland and open space in downtown Bethesda.

It's hard to argue that Brookfield can't execute its plan - they have the legal grounds and right to do so. Clark's primary hope, then, is to generate enough support for its proposal, and sufficient opposition to the Brookfield plan. Central to their appeal may be their standing as one of the highest-profile hometown firms.

I've reported on this a number of times, but the campaigns are heating up again. Several mailings to downtown residents in July have been followed up by events and happenings at the plaza.

Clark Enterprises sets up
for live concert last night

Last night, Clark hosted a live concert on the plaza that promoted Protect Bethesda Open Space. As the musicians played, an artist sponsored by Brookfield was carefully coloring in his new mural that wraps around the top of the bus bays. The immediate winner was the Bethesda pedestrian, who could enjoy the free concert, watch an artist in action - or both simultaneously.

Brookfield-sponsored artist
 colors in his
mural as Clark's band plays

Brookfield has its own concert series called Fridays on the Plaza, from 6:30-9:00 PM, and earlier this month gave away free coffee and donuts to Surge-weary Metro riders. The mural is an early preview of the international Arts Brookfield initiative that Brookfield promises to expand to its Bethesda property. It is also part of a major investment Brookfield is making in renovating the bus bays area, and making it more inviting.

You can be sure that the plaza, along with Pike & Rose and Carr Properties' development planned for the current Apex Building site, are going to be in the competition for the prize of the new Marriott headquarters. Could public opposition to the 290' building (an opposition currently unmeasured by scientific polling, by the way), trump Brookfield's ground lease rights and clear economic development appeal in currently-moribund Montgomery County?

Stay tuned. And pass the donuts.