The sale of the 1961 office building at 7800 Wisconsin Avenue to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is now official, according to Maryland real estate records. It was acquired for $7,000,000 from The Charles H. Goldberg Family Trust. The commission plans to hold the property, it claims, for a future expansion of Veterans Plaza, but the properties are separated by Woodmont Avenue.
Still seems like a dumb idea to create a bifurcated Veteran’s Park. They should buy the low rise buildings to the north and west to expand the existing park, not create a second separated park. They can’t easily close Woodmont for special events to group the two parks.
ReplyDeleteThe notion of creating a series of parks that connect to East Bethesda is noble, but it simply doesn’t work given the existing roads. A linear greenway, with a wider sidewalk, lined with tree and benches, and crosswalk improvements, connecting East Bethesda to an expanded Veteran’s Park is the best move.
Perhaps this land acquisition could mean a land swap could make this happen.
I’ve asked this same question before about Veterans Park. My understanding is they would if they could but the low rise buildings aren’t for sale.
DeleteThe union hardware building is disconnected and not a great park space. but it’s a valuable asset they can hold.
The greenway is nice in theory but would take so many pieces to move exactly right to happen in a way that would fulfill any portion of that pipe dream.
What’s your linear plan again - can you expand on that?
Instead of a disconnected park along the north side of Cheltenham, between Wisconsin and Woodmont as planned, simply build a nice wide 20’ sidewalk along the northern edge of the street. Line it with shade streets on both sides to create an allay of trees along the walkway. Everything north of this allay could be developed, with shops fronting all four sides of the block. This would creat a nice walkway connecting East Bethesda and the Woodmont Triangle. Trade the remaining part of this new purchase, with frontage on three major streets and tons of visibility, to whoever owns Jetties, BGR, Bethesda Chiropractors, the Doghaus and expand Veterans Park all the way to the high-rise office building.
ReplyDeleteThe city gets a bigger, contiguous park, and the existing owners that flank the park get extremely valuable land with much higher zoning. Maybe even increase the allowable height with a minor master plan to sweeten the deal.
Work with the owner of the high-rise west of Veterans Park to redevelop the base of their tower to face the new expanded park.