Multiple buildings are being demolished at once at the 7373 Wisconsin Avenue site of the future Avocet Tower office building in downtown Bethesda. They include the now-abandoned Montgomery County police station, an office building, a carpet store, and an appraisal and realty office.
Lots of demolition activity at 5:30 PM on a Sunday.
ReplyDeleteAVOCADO TOWER!??!?!??!?!?!
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how this tall and slender tower activates the east side of Wisconsin. Combined with 4747 Bethesda, the Elm, the Wilson, the Metro Tower, the Bethesda Market and 4 Metro Center, we will soon have a dense neighborhood of eight very tall high towers all focused on multiple enhanced and brand new privately owned public spaces at the epicenter of several new multimodal transit options. The convergence of the new Red Line entrance, the Purple Line, the enhanced CCT from Georgetown to Dilver Dpring, and the proposed BRT line will really make a very well connected neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThe inclusion of the AC Bethesda Hotel will create a nice zone of three hotels in the same area. Hotels are great grenerators of business for shops and restaurants, with folks staying in town for a only few days, they are very likely to dine out and buy gifts. Hotels are proven to be a much higher retail/restaurant traffic generator than typical office or residential, and like urban movie theatres, are often considered very helpful in generating walkable and lively streetscapes and healthy business.
The large covered plaza on Wisconsin will be fun as well, and add a cool place to grab some morning shade and hang out by an active water feature. The proposed light sculpture could become an iconic and artful feature of this area.
I like the idea of the dramatic pergola structure at the to of the tower. I think it will create a bit of a landmark. Too bad it sounds like access to the large covered rooftop terrace might be restricted to office tenants only. It would be nice if the hotel could create a cool rooftop bar and lounge up there for hotel guests and the public. The renderings portray (distant) night time views of the brightly illuminated National Cathedral, Washington Monument and the Capital. Itwould be fun to reinforce how close Bethesda is to DC. I think they would need to create a dedicated express elevator, at least available when the bar is open, to access the roof terrace, but keep the office and hotel areas private. Marriott can pull some strings and make it happen. I think it can be done with electronic elevator controls the only allow access on level 1and 24.
I think a high floor roof terrace bar and lounge, with a panoramic view looking south would be a huge hit. Maybe some other high rise developer will give it a shot. Yes K, it’s me.
They tried a rooftop terrace open to the public at the Doubletree further down Woodmont kind of near Harris Teeter a few years ago, and it didn't work. Actually wasn't the old Yacht Club of Bethesda there? That was the place to be for the 50+ single/divorced crowd.
ReplyDeleteThe issue with the hotels in that area is none of them have sufficient conference spaces I think. The except is the existing Hyatt Regency, and that does indeed draw a number of conferences.
Overall, I think you're right there will be some improvement in retail "life" in this area. The sections of Wisconsin by Trader Joe's and Moby Dick generally do well, so it's a matter of continuing that all the way to the metro.
Or maybe it's all Dyer logic -- the lack of a multiplex movie theater here will doom it all.
Has anyone heard any news abount the former gas station/Tommy Joes/Pines of Rome site on Wisconsin? The last big missing and vacant piece in the area.
ReplyDeleteI know a very attractive 14 story multi family tower designed by Shalom Baranes was approved on just the former gas station site back in 2014 or so. I seem to recall reading that the developer has acquired neighboring sites, and may be planning another “mega” project now that up to 250’ height is allowed, or even 274’ if they have 20% MDPU’s.
I believe that site, and perhaps if combined with the adjacent mid-rise office building, would be a full block, and nearly as large in area as the Elm/Wilson site. This large block would not be encumbered by the Metro and Purple Line Stations, or the CCT tunnel, so likely a much large amount of useable square footage could be developed., up to 28 about stories.
Does anyone know who owns or controls these sites?
"Does anyone know who owns or controls these sites?"
ReplyDeleteThe MoCo Cartel!
@8:21 Maybe they had a funding issue? That's a big project.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the MoCo Planning website, the gas station site that approved for a 14 story/225 unit multifamily tower in 2014 was owned by Bainbridge, but I'm not sure if that's still true. I see that Washington Properties has a sign on the small office building on the SW corner of that block. The American Occupational Therapy Foundation is in the taller building on the NW corner.
ReplyDeleteThe two restaurant sites seem to be owned by Jemals 7979 LLC, and the whole block totals about 1.15 acres. I think the Apex site is about 2.69 acres, so much larger.
ReplyDeleteBainbridge owns 7340 Wisconsin, AOTA owns its headquarters building on Montgomery Lane, Washington Property owns its headquarters office on Hampden, and Douglas owns the retail strip.
ReplyDeleteAs already discussed, Bainbridge has its property fully entitled under the old zoning and wants more density, but has continued to sit on the site. At one point all of the owners on that block wanted to assemble with Chevy Chase Land's 7316 Wisconsin across Hampden, but the county didn't want to abandon Hampden. So 7316 was sold to Saul for the "Metro Tower" hirise waiting for approvals, while development plans on the other parcels haven't moved forward.
Kinda strange given how valuable that block is. It would be a home run for anything they put up there. I would hope that Bainbridge sells if they don't plan on building anytime soon.
AVOCADO TOWER!??!
ReplyDeleteBainbridge is the straw buyer for a big Pension Fund. Apts are zoned at the gas station and know they along with WPC, AOTA and Jemal partnered to land Marriott. They may build office at the gas station.
ReplyDelete