Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Bethesda construction update: 7900 Wisconsin Avenue (Photos)

JBG Smith's 7900 Wisconsin Avenue project is now about six stories above street level. There's a long way to go still before this mixed-use project tops out, but the general form is starting to take clearer shape from the Woodmont Avenue perspective.

The project is supposed to be anchored by a Trader Joe's grocery store; just over 12000 SF has been set aside for a grocery store tenant. There will be 20035 SF of restaurant and retail space in total on the ground floor, with 475 rental apartments above in the 17-story, cantilevered building. A pass-through will provide pedestrian access between Woodmont and Wisconsin Avenues, as well as to the ground floor businesses. The mirrored ceiling of the pass-through, and unique plaza design and landscaping, make this one of the most-eagerly-awaited public spaces in downtown Bethesda.




25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lol, you're going to feel so dumb when the Trader Joe's rumor you've been spreading for years ends up being completely made up.

Anonymous said...

Last I read, JBG was "courting a grocery store such as Trader Joe's to anchor the site". "Such as" does not mean Trader Joe's has made a commitment. Your wording is misleading.

Anonymous said...

7:34 AM And with Sears closing a year ago, Bethesda BBQ up and running and Pizza Pass down the street

Anonymous said...

Elrich just killed the Montrose Parkway East. LOL

Anonymous said...

"Smashburger is closing."

"Smashburger is not closing."

"I never said Smashburger is closing. Punch yourself."

2 years later: "Smashburger is closing. See - I was right."

Anonymous said...

7:58am "F*** ton o' mayo"

Smashburger

Anonymous said...

"There's a long way to go still before this mixed-use project tops out, but the general form is starting to take clearer shape from the Woodmont Avenue perspective." It would be more appropriate to say "elevation" rather than "perspective".

Anonymous said...

It’s nice to begin to see the massing of this unique tower. It’s rather hard to decipher from the renderings. Sort of a long mass hugging Wisconsin on the east, with the tall pesdestrian cutout. The other wing is now more readable, and angles along the walkway in a large curve d accent wall slicing through from Wisconsin to Woodmont.

The architects are using quite a wide variety of forms, details, textures and materials, so it will be fun to see the final result. It will certainly be a substaial new landmark on Wisconsin. I’m not sure how it will feel with two more towers connected on the north side. I hope this whole block does not come off looking like the New York New York Hotel in Las Vegas, where they tried to make a large singular hotel feel like a skyline of buildings. It certainly can’t be any worse that the massive Pallasaides/Triangular Towers mess nearby. Those long featureless facades are just nasty.

The mirrored ceiling over the walkway will be interesting to see as well. Maybe it will become similar to the “Bean” in Chicago where lots of folks hang out and do selfie photos in the reflections. I do like their idea to add a vegetated screen wall along the south side of the Bethesda Chocolates Building. I think this privately owned public space will be a nice addition to the neighborhood. Sort of like the very calm zen-like plaza in the Flats 8300 Building. A fun place to chill with a cup of coffee from Sixbucks.

Any word on the Toll Brothers condo project at the north end of the triple building mega-block? I see the retail spaces are vacated, a few construction fences are in place, but no demo has commenced. Is this caper still going forward?

Anonymous said...

S.S. Papadopulos & Associates Inc is going to do great once this project is done!

Anonymous said...

8:15 I disagree. I think a view taken from the Woodmont side, with vanishing points, is accurately called a perspective view. An elevation refers to a orthogonal view that does not show any vanishing points. All pedestrians only experience buildings in perspective. Elevations are never accurate from a point of view, but are flattened views to describe the building for design and construction.

Anonymous said...

@8:20 am: Thank you for such an informative and interesting comment. I hope you will continue to add value to this blog.
We may be turning a corner in the use of the blog. Anna has told us that she does not use inappropriate language or make personal attacks. Let's all do the same and focus on substance.

Anonymous said...

7:10: Sorry, dude, it was a JBG employee who said Trader Joe's, and Dyer had the scoop the next morning.

Anonymous said...

"A pass-through will provide pedestrian access between Woodmont and Wisconsin Avenues, as well as to the ground floor businesses. The mirrored ceiling of the pass-through, and unique plaza design and landscaping, make this one of the most-eagerly-awaited public spaces in downtown Bethesda."

#SponsoredContent

But what's sad is that Dyer completely omitted mention of the most significant aspect of the pass-through - that it provides a direct pedestrian connection between St. Elmo Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue.

"An elevation refers to a orthogonal view that does not show any vanishing points."

Poor Bobbie has no idea what you just wrote.

P.S.: @ 8:34 AM is a smelly hobo.

Anonymous said...

@10:01: Funny! (I'm your "smelly hobo".) Humor gets you a pass.
Anyway, I've said my piece. I wish the whole country, not just Bethesda, would lighten up and focus on substance. So many poisonous, angry, deranged comments on the internet. Let's learn from each other instead.
Over and out.

Anonymous said...

@ 8:34/11:50 AM - @ 10:50 AM here. Well, that was one heck of an embarrassing typo. Obviously my remark was meant for @ 8:54 AM. I hope you have a blessed day.

Anonymous said...

I'm all for that, 11:50AM. It is not fun to see the author get criticized. I appreciate Robert and his ideas for strengthening Bethesda in the future. God bless everyone here.

Anna said...

9:03AM, ya know, there's just no excuse for some people. I mean look at the one who says they go by "Rugby." for 2 years they've called me a liar over and over again even after I've provided a link showing them to be wrong.
My request for an apology is deleted, yet the lying accusations remain.

If you're going after people's bad behavior, you might want to focus on the author and his minions.

5:33 AM

Anna said...

8:34AM, do not read the comments for today's article. You'll find Mr Dyer's words most disheartening.

Anonymous said...

@8:54 that JBG employee said that in 2014. Any normal Franchise agreement would need to be renewed several times if it had not been built in 5 years. That JBG employee also no longer works at JBG.

Robert Dyer said...

7:28: You just outed yourself as a JBG employee, or you're lying. #Oops

Secondly, if JBG blew the Trader Joe's deal, that's on them.

Anna said...

They mentioned a major grocery would be going in, but would not say who it was. It was noted on the plans that it showed "Trader Joe's Parking."
JGB wouldn't confirm. I had a client that was in the room, and that's how he explained it to me.

Robert Dyer said...

5:37: LOL, the chances of you having a "client" at the meeting are close to zero. But, under anonymous, you've claimed knowledge of this meeting for years. #Oops The way you describe is not the way it happened, or else the JBG guy wouldn't have been begging for mercy.

Anna said...

I've worked in Bethesda since 1979, 27 years in property management as a cash manager, 20+ years as an accountant, mainly focusing on individual taxes. Should be no surprise that I know a lot of professionals in the area.

Yup, under anonymous I did post about that...all those years ago.(weird that you should remember that)
I've never had a problem claiming my posts and I've said so since day one.

I love how you try to use my honesty against me.

Anna said...

I corrected my typo to 17 years

Why did you delete that?

Anna said...

Here's the original:


Whoops! Typo! 17 years in prop mgmt. Sheesh...I'm old enough without adding another 10 years. :)

6:46 AM