The Brightview Bethesda assisted-living apartment building's ground floor retail spaces leased up quickly, even more rapidly than many other post-Great Recession luxury apartment buildings in town.
Vivant Salon looks like it's about to open.
More Than Java Cafe has made significant progress, including installation of its main coffee bar counter, and counter.
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| More Than Java Cafe |
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| Vivant Salon |
I’m pretty sure that these are not actual retail tenants in the pure sense. I believe I read that Brightview likes to place some of the amenities commonly found in an assisted living facility, in the ground level facing and having secondary doors open from the street. I believe the salon and coffee shop are primarily entered from the interior of the building, and are not unique retailers, but simply services that are offered as amenities to their tenants, like in any other facility. They don’t sign leases, they are no different t than the food service “a co called restaurant” on the top floor.
ReplyDeleteSaying all this, I think it’s is a noble idea to place these services on the ground level, facing the street, and even include unique signage to give them the feel of a mixed use building in an urban setting. The folks that operate these spaces are likely employees of Brightview. The spaces are also open to the public, so it is a nice way to local patrons to spend time (ansd money) and visit residents for a salon visit or cup of coffee. A nice way for Brightview to supplement their services by charging neighbors.
I read that some of the Brightview’s even have a ground level ice cream shop that is entered internally for residents, and externally to the neighborhood. A great way to lure the grandkids to visit grandma and share a sundae. Again, a nice way engage the residents with the community, but to state that they are already “leased up” might be a bit of a stretch. They are a welcome addition to the neighborhood none the less.
1:14: While these are certainly businesses that will offer valuable services for residents and visitors, both are actual retail tenants. More Than Java has at least two other locations in Maryland.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the are contracted out by Brightview to operate in their building or actually hold retail leases. I see in your photos that the salon has a direct entrance from the interior. I guess it’s transparent to the public anyway. Good to see a bit of life on Rugby. I hope the Gallery II can find some tenants as well. A large destination restaurant or retailer, that people are willing to seek out, would be a good fit.
ReplyDelete5:35am there is the iconic corner space at Rugby that is envisioned as a restaurant, across from the new police station. Looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteNew York City will not replace us
ReplyDeleteI worry about those businesses with both external and internal entrances. They could be insecure pathways through which illegal aliens, criminals from PG County coming via the Purple Line, and dead voters come to prey on the nice old white people living in the building.
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