For the second time in as many months, work related to the Marriott International headquarters relocation in downtown Bethesda has impacted the restaurant next door, Woodmont Grill. This time, utility work for the HQ project being performed by Pepco damaged sidewalk pavers in front of the restaurant. The Marriott development partners say that the damage should be repaired by the end of this week. Last month, Marriott excavation work
ruptured a water line leading to Woodmont Grill, which is the highest volume restaurant in downtown Bethesda.
Meanwhile, on good weather days (fortunately, I was able to get these photos just before the storm hit), there can be more than 200 dump truck trips to and from the Marriott site per day. Blasting and overnight work are both scheduled to commence on or after February 1, 2019.
19 comments:
Highest volume according to whom?
"Utility work damaged sidewalk pavers in front of the restaurant."
#NeverForget1-14
#WeWillRebuild
They do more business than any other restaurant in Bethesda. Fact.
Woodmont and Tastee were beyond foolish to stay. Woodmont has tons of money. Heck, so does diner. Both could have moved and still thrived. I don't believe Marriott will be their cash cow. Maybe they'll do more lunch business but end of day and weekends those thousands of employees will be gone.
@ 5:55 AM - Who are you? LOL
#ShiftChange
Someone who knows what they're talking about Jack hole!
Looks like a pretty moribund area to me.
@6:03 AM - Agreed. Woodmont wanted to sell, but Diner didn't and Marriott would only buy the two together.
Dîner and Woodmont will benefit nonetheless if their properties increase in value sufficiently from now on. Might happen. In a few years it will be all high rises around there, and these will be the only remaining development sites.
Maybe TD Bank put its one-storey buildings on prime downtown sites in order to sit on the land in the hope of big increases in their value.
Looks like those excavations are large enough for an underground urban blockbuster movie theatre!
Who in their right mind really wants 3500 new office workers, a day care center for Marriott employees, 240 hotel rooms and a large full service restaurant on this site. Plus 5500 other office workers in three other new buildings, another high rise hotel and perhaps 8500 new mixed use apartments with ground floor retail shops and restaurants in almost all buildings.
Robert is right in declaring that Bethesda is doomed because all those nightime bars and clubs have closed! And Robert is correct that when they build all this, they should be required by law to protect all adjacent sidewalks and ultility lines, and keep them is perfect existing condition. No exceptions. If they want to build, they must fully construct the building off site and bring it in with helicopters in the middle of the night without making a peep.
Oh and another thing, they should put back the White Flint Mall the way it was and cast Westbard in amber for future generations to enjoy.
If Eastham's Exxon had not closed, the Regal Cinema would have remained open and Federal Realty would not be stuck with so many moribund properties.
The ugly head of hypocrisy rises. This post could have been written by the anti-development MoCo cartel. If you're putting up a building, there will be dump trucks.
6:34 - Diner guy recently sold the long held Laurel location. He's got plenty of money but should have sold and/or moved as he did the SS location. Bethesda just doesn't have the vibe. Woodmont will survive but I just don't think it was smart for either of them to stay. Diner ultimately will lose money. Here's a news flash, the diner decor and food are both disgusting.
Maybe Marriott could buy them both and put in a contemporary but retro version of a Hot Shoppes with a root beer stand. A tribute to their past, but reimagined to become a new classic. I know food and beverage is not their “thing” now, but a homage to their origins could be a fun idea.
8:23 - they aren't for sale but great idea.
I’m sorry, but EVERYTHING is for sale, at the right price. Although these two lots, like the Marriott parcel, are both zoned to allow a building of up to 300’ tall, it is very unlikely that even combined, much of a freestanding office or residential tower could be created.
I’m positive that Gensler, the architects from Marriott, have designed the building structure and stair/elevator cores to be easily expanded once these two neighbors realize that an expanded office use by Marriott is the highest and best use of their property.
I predict that perhaps someday in the near future, we will hear that Marriiot has purchased both restaurants, with the promise to build class A retail space that the restaurants can move back into in the ground level. Both restaurants would get brand new facilities, and Marriott would get another Couple 100,000 SF of usable office space, without adding any elevators or stairs. Many odd shaped buildings like this are designed for expansion in this way.
This could happen at any time, but likely before the glazing goes in. Of course Marriott denies this, but I think it might be a real possibility.
"I’m positive that Gensler, the architects from Marriott, have designed the building structure and stair/elevator cores to be easily expanded once these two neighbors realize that an expanded office use by Marriott is the highest and best use of their property."
Yep, I've been thinking the same thing all along. I'm sure that they have "blueprints" drafted 5 years ago and filed away that have the building including the sites of the two restaurants.
1:34, 1:53 - I have no doubt that plans have been drawn up in the event the two parcels become available but they aren't. Woodmont Grill, owned by the Hillstone Group, is a very successful restaurant company thus they don't need the money. Tastee is owned by a successful businessman named Gene Wilkes and also is far from needy money wise. They are both dug in and aren't going anywhere. I think that's an error and they may go under eventually but they aren't selling.
Tastee should have sold as moved into the vacant diner space in the 7770 building.
Maybe someone will have "the talk" with Wilkes and he'll come to senses.
2:50 - The diner is the vulnerable one really. Woodmont makes so much money and can move anywhere and continue to print money. Customers will follow. Diner I'm not so sure they make it or customers would follow.
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