Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row: Bozzuto presents plan to redevelop Midas property at 4725 Cheltenham Rd. in Bethesda (Photos)

Developer Bozzuto presented its proposal to replace an auto repair facility at 4725 Cheltenham Road in downtown Bethesda with a residential building in an online public meeting last night. The Midas service center is located on the edge of the business district where it meets a residential single-family-home neighborhood. If approved by Montgomery County, the project would replace it with a 10-story, 90' building.

View from residential neighborhood
behind Chevy Chase Cars

Bozzuto also developed the nearby Whitney apartments over the historic Bethesda Theatre. They said the site presents a unique opportunity to do something on a smaller scale than the larger buildings being built and proposed now for the downtown area. Asked by a participant in the meeting if they had considered assembling the site with the CVS Pharmacy next door, a representative replied that CVS has a lease until 2040 at that property.

Sean Stadler of architecture firm WDG said the building will have a two-story, fragmented facade at the bottom. The majority of the units will have views of Cheltenham Road and the adjacent park - although the latter is very small, it must be noted.

The white-roofed building northwest
of the "SITE" is the CVS Pharmacy

There will be between 67 and 83 units. Bozzuto has not decided whether they will be rental apartments or condos. That is likely the reason for the undetermined number of units - condo units must be larger than rental units to compete in the condominium market. One level of underground parking will hold only 23 spaces. That's because the building qualifies for lower parking due to nearby public parking lots and garages.