Developer Foulger-Pratt unveiled its latest proposal for redeveloping several contiguous lots at 7126 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda at a public meeting last night. The lots front onto Wisconsin, Bethesda Avenue and Miller Avenue, and currently host a vacant bank, a vacant Starbucks and Vace pizzeria. An updated plan was needed because the vacant Capital One bank property on Bethesda Avenue was acquired for the project.
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| Corner lobby entrance |
Proposed for the site is a high-rise apartment tower with up to 335 residential units, structured parking, and up to 9000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The project is now moving forward independently of a previously-related plan for the Farm Woman's Market across Wisconsin. Foulger-Pratt's Judd Ullom said the firm "went back to the drawing board on the design" once it realized it could acquire the Capital One site.
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| View of the building looking north on Wisconsin Avenue |
Capital One has an option to return in the Bethesda Avenue side's retail spaces, but no other tenants have been confirmed at this time. A question about Vace returning in the new building went unanswered by Foulger-Pratt's representatives.
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| View looking east on Bethesda Avenue |
The company expects to file its new plan with Montgomery County in the next two weeks. It expects a hearing before the Planning Board by the end of 2022. Even if the plan is approved, it will be at least 18 months before construction begins.
Several nearby residents joined the meeting via Zoom, and raised a number of concerns. "Tom M." asked if the proposed parking garage entrance on Bethesda Avenue would create too much congestion. That street recently lost a lane to a new protected bike lane, and has busy driveways for the Capital Crescent Parking Garage already further down the block. The current reasoning for the Bethesda-side garage entry is that left turns are restricted from Miller Avenue onto Wisconsin.
"How can we object to the size of the building?" a resident of a nearby building asked. "The height should be no higher than the Seasons. I am very upset about the size of this building." A resident of Crescent Plaza concurred: "I am concerned that all of us in the Crescent Plaza will further reduce the only sunlight we get. And it will further contribute to the seasonal depression that I have seen in people.” The proposed height is legal under the 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan.
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| View of building looking south on Wisconsin Avenue; note Bethesda Avenue retail storefronts |
Another Crescent Plaza resident asked why they had not been notified by mail of the proposal and last night's meeting. Foulger-Pratt's attorney, Heather Dlhopolsky, replied that notices were sent to the homeowners association of Crescent Plaza, rather than to each individual resident.
Architecture looks pretty good. Certainly a big improvement compared to what's currently there, especially along Miller Ave. which doesn't even have sidewalks or street trees.
ReplyDeleteEvery possible corner will be taken up by a huge, mix-use building. New is great but all the charm is gone. Plus, the traffic with all this construction already is tough to get around.
ReplyDeleteThat will continue for at least a half dozen years to come.
HOLY CHRISTMAS! That thing is gargantuan!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great project for downtown Bethesda. It will complete the block with high density housing envisioned by the the downtown Bethesda 2017 plan. The massing is nice in how it steps up from the 9 story Darcy, to the 15 story Seasons building, to a new 20 story mass, then 22 stories at Wisconsin Avenue, with a tall extension at the corner.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best parts is the elimination of the nasty traditional Capitol One drive through bank and will create a continuous retail street front from Woodmont to Wisconsin. This will help extend the vitality of Bethesda Row east, and eventually connect up with the proposed food hall at the expanded Farm Women’s Market, and the two large parks that will replace existing surface parking lots. Units on the north side will have a great view of the new plaza across Bethesda Avenue as well.
THe stepped massing with a two story high retail base, topped by a brick clad midrise section with recessed balconies, then capped by a metal and glass clad tower that is stepped back form the midrise base. Exactly what the design guidelines describe.
I’d like to see them add a bit more height at the penthouse, as it looks a bit truncated. I’d also like to see a more interesting two story high column at the corner as well.
I appreciate your comments and agree it will help connect Bethesda Row east toward Wisconsin. Hopefully it will be priced so that some interesting retail moves in. The density is needed and totally appropriate for the location.
DeleteHuge improvement over what's there.
ReplyDeleteThe complaints from neighbors fall flat -- this is exactly the location to put a building like this. It may even be somewhat too small for the location.
I kind of feel sorry for crescent plaza folks. They had 2/3rds of their building boxed in by the Solaire...and now this.
ReplyDeleteAtleast the Sacks neighborhood plan to redevelop is shelved for now.
Crescent Plaza is located south of this project, so direct sunlight and views, from the east, south and west will not be impacted by this project in any way. No shadows from this building will ever be cast on the Crescent Plaza. Yes, some north facing condos in Crescent Plaza will have to look at the brand new brick and glass building, instead of the nasty old roofs of the one story retail shops, a crappy old vacant bank building, a bank drive through lanes and several parking lots. Miller Avenue doesn’t even have a sidewalk for most of the block, just awkward pull-in parking spaces and several exposed dumpsters. As others have stated, new wide brick sidewalks will wrap three sides of this building, with new street trees and pedestrian scaled lighting. This new project will likely increase their property values.
ReplyDeleteIt's always comical when someone in a highrise complains that a highrise is going to be built next door. Like, seriously, what did you expect to happen? This new building is by-right; it's exactly what is expected and planned to be built there.
ReplyDelete@11:43 -- Spoken as only a property developer could, with utter disregard for the community being despoiled. Bravo.
ReplyDeleteThere is a glut of vacant apartments in Bethesda. The new apartment building at 7900 Wisconsin Ave is less than 40% occupied. Many, including the Flats on Wisconsin and the Gallery Apartments are trying to fill their many empty units with Airbnb daily rentals. Currently, in Bethesda, there are six apartment building under construction. The owners of the newly built apartment buildings have to keep rents high in order to pay off their loans. The proposed series of apartment buildings on Battery Lane are being delayed because of the glut. The people in Crescent Plaza are correct this new building will block much of their light and it will also block the view of some units in the Solaire apartment building. If quality of life was of any concern to the Planning Board the size would be cut down dramatically or the project rejected. We are experiencing an apartment building bubble that will burst. Look at Wisconsin Ave where Toll Brothers bought the land and have left a line of stores empty for six years. Another example is The Lauren Condominium. The developer went bankrupt. The units were auctioned off. I am waiting for the bubble to pop.
ReplyDeleteNice of 1:29 to care about the success of developers, but he's either 1. Wrong and demand still exceeds supply or 2. Correct and developers will have to lower prices or have their units/property sold at auction for a deep discount. Either way, it's obviously a win for consumers.
ReplyDelete@1:29 PM - Can you provide "proof" of the vacancy rate you stated, or that rentals by Airbnb are filling these units? I see nothing of the kind anywhere, you seem to be blowing smoke.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Zeus Living (similar to AirBnB but for longer term, furnished rentals). There are a number of units on that site at Flats8300, Upstairs at Bethesda Row.
DeleteThis sector is already gridlocked and unpleasant all the time, both during the week and on weekdays. The bizarre and thoughtless obsession with new is bad too. So: all the small businesses will fold, there will be no parking but in garages, there will be no services. And the mix of incomes won't be realized, I predict. Terrible developer grab and everyone who lives in Bethesda will lose. The developers live elsewhere.
ReplyDelete