The first phase of the Maizon Bethesda project is about to get underway on the east side of the 7500 block of Arlington Road. Developer ZOM Living says it has put sediment control measures in place around the existing home sites that will be razed to make way for the Maizon apartment building. Once Montgomery County inspectors make a site visit to confirm all pre-demolition requirements are met, the houses will start coming down.
Those haven't been "houses" for decades.
ReplyDelete5:01 - No, they haven't been occupied by families for years so what? They are noteworthy in the sense that they represent among the very last examples of single-family homes in downtown Bethesda.
Delete5:12 AM - On Arlington Road, yes. In "all of downtown Bethesda", no.
ReplyDelete5:12 - Among the very last examples.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to this new caper. I think it will add some nicely scaled step-down scaled, medium density multifamily housing and create a transitional nice edge on the west side of downtown. Those former houses, used commercially for years, and their array of weird parking lots were very tired. It will be nice to have an wider sidewalk along Arlington, which will include a landscaped separation from the curb. This will be great for folks walking to and from the Central Farm Market and Elementary School. I believe they will have some street side townhouse style entries to some of the units to animate the street. A nice secondary southern entrance that will be very close to the Metro station entrance.
ReplyDeleteUnique in Bethesda, many of the units, and the massive roof terrace and swimming pool, will overlook the very large rectangular green space and playground south of the school. These units and the roof will have some nice open western sunset views as well. A bit like a mini version of the Upper East Side housing in New York that faces the (much larger) Central Park and wide open western sky. It’s nice to see multifamily choices like this that for folks that are not looking for urban views filled with other tall buildings. Maizon Bethesda and their (Japanese?) investors are new to this area, so maybe they will build more nicely scaled projects like this in the future. A great type of project for Bethesda urban edges.
The vertical massing and detailing of the facade looks like it will help break down the block long Arlington elevation. Several recessed areas and multiple brick colors will help create a humane scale as well. I think local architects SK+I did a nice job on this project, and it will immediately fit in with the neighborhood. With the new expansion tower at Edgemont II, this block with the exception of the bank, will soon be fully built out. Maybe someday the new one story bank will come down and become a higher density as well.
Lots of pics of fencing. Scintillating.
ReplyDelete7:39 AM 7/22/19
"the very last examples of single-family homes in downtown Bethesda"
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few single family homes in downtown Bethesda. The entire Saks neighborhood for instance.
6:24
ReplyDeleteThere was a lot of controversy about that site when the bank was announced. It was previously a gas station but the developers claimed that it wasn't feasible for a high-rise to be built. That might seem true at first glance, but virtually anything can be built anywhere given the right return (and zoning code). In Manhattan it would have a 50-story building sitting on it.
Then there was the obstacle of the residents of the neighboring Christopher who were quickly mobilizing to protest anything other than a one-story building on the site.
2:02 - The entire Saks neighborhood? Uh, that's not downtown Bethesda. I'm a native of the area and remember well many single family homes in downtown Bethesda. Again, downtown not Friendship Heights section of Chevy Chase. There are a scarce few homes left. Please comment and tell us exactly where, either Bethesda Row area or Woodmont Triangle section, there are still homes standing.
ReplyDeleteThe Saks neighborhood is north of Bradley Boulevard and is most definitely in downtown Bethesda. Another example of a SFH neighborhood within downtown Bethesda is the blocks of Rugby Avenue and Glenbrook Road between Norfolk Avenue and Old Georgetown Road.
ReplyDelete5:34 - Wrong. Here's their address: Saks Fifth Avenue
DeleteDepartment store in Chevy Chase, Maryland. You are missing my point. Most of the former single family home structures in the downtown business district on streets such as Cordell are gone period end of story.
Sacks is indeed in downtown Bethesda, and it was included in the Bethesda Downtown sector plan.
ReplyDelete7:03 - That so nice of you. Name calling says a lot. First of all, no one and I mean no one, has ever referred to that area as Sacks. I've been in this area all my life and never, ever heard that word uttered. Secondly, those homes are more Chevy Chase than Bethesda. And thirdly, my point all along is that the homes being torn down on Arlington across from the library, are among the last examples of houses in the business district. Where stores and restaurants and any other kind of shop is now used to be houses with families living in them. I'm not talking about on the periphery. No go and bother someone else we're all filled up here.
ReplyDeleteOh my. Someone just posted that they believe there is a neighborhood in Chevy Chase called "Saks", after the retailer.
ReplyDeleteOn a related note, remember when Monument Realty tried to buy the entire Sacks neighborhood? There were hold outs.