Sunday, June 10, 2018

Collection at Chevy Chase construction update (Video+Photos)

Few retail properties have been hit as hard by the policies of our inept Montgomery County Council as the Collection at Chevy Chase. With the Washington Post, The Seventh State, Sage Policy Group and other local media outlets now agreeing with my long-ago declaration of MoCo's moribund economy, it's a great time to check in on the effort by landowner Chevy Chase Land Company to revitalize the property with lower expectations.

Once the crown jewel of a retail strip touted as "the Rodeo Drive of Montgomery County," the Collection and neighborhood have stumbled into a deep decline. The ultra-rich have fled the county in droves for lower-tax jurisdictions in the region, wiping out much of the center's built-in base of elite, recession-proof shoppers. Vacant storefronts abound at the Collection, with some of the most sought-after luxury brands following the rich to Northern Virginia, CityCenterDC and Howard County.











5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope this remodeling can create an improved environment for a wider base of retail, cafes and dining. I have always felt that the Chevy Chase CBD was lacking in nice casual places to sit outside and dine. Of course a wider variety of retailers would be nice, with less emphasis on ultra expensive luxury retailers. The location and transit options are certainly very nice for a wide variety of folks. Not just the very wealth elderly polpulation that seems to live near downtown. I hope this streetscape remodeling and rebranding will entice some new and interesting retailers to take a chance and draw a wider and somewhat younger crowd.

If Pike and Rose can fill its ground floors with such an interesting retail and restaurant mix, I hope that Chevy Chase do the same.

Anonymous said...

It's odd that you don't say anything about the actual work that is being done here - replacement of the asphalt driveways and concrete sidewalk with paving stones, improvement to/addition of outdoor seating areas, reconfiguration of the parking gates - you no longer need to use a parking ticket for the Giant.

Anonymous said...

Justin Trudeau has become Trump's Hans Riemer. LOL

Anonymous said...

And Dyer deleted the comment which noted that Fairfax Square opened 16 years before The Collection, and that none of the stores which closed in The Collection have since opened new locations in Northern Virginia, and there are none of these stores in Loudoun County or Howard County.

Anonymous said...

They are investing in the space which proves that it's not moribund you dishonest, exaggerating fool!

The ultra-rich haven't budged. Our sports team owners live in Montgomery County. Ted Lerner lives in Chevy Chase. Dan Snyder does too. Real Estate is hot and expensive in Montgomery County, not far from this location. People love to live and work there. You're wrong and just want clicks and attention.