Developer Stonebridge is preparing to submit its Preliminary and Site Plans for its proposed redevelopment of 7749 and 7755 Old Georgetown Road, and adjacent property along St. Elmo Avenue, in downtown Bethesda. It has scheduled a required pre-submittal public meeting for Monday, June 10, 2024, at 6:00 PM at the Connie Morella Bethesda Library at 7400 Arlington Road. Give Stonebridge some credit for having the meeting prior to when most people begin going on summer vacations. We've all seen public meetings for projects that were actually controversial sometimes held between mid-June and August, or during the December holidays.
The assembled project site includes the office building that holds the currently-operating Old Georgetown Grille and Colonial Opticians, and the former Jewelry Exchange retail building. Some one-level retail buildings directly adjacent on St. Elmo will be torn down as well, but Serpentine Dance Studio and House of Milae will remain between this new high-rise, and the Sophia Bethesda apartment tower.
The Crystal City of MoCo. Old Georgetown Grill may be one of the worst dining experiences around. My gosh, is that an awful breakfast. That's the only positive about yet another skyscraper going up. The downtown sector should have established height restrictions long ago. Well, lower ones anyway.
ReplyDeleteA nice modern idea by SK+I. I love the folded pleats on the massing on this caper, and the one they propose over by the high school.
ReplyDeleteYou summed it up perfectly, JAC; I could not have said it better myself, save to add that proposed monstrosity should do wonders to blot the sun on Old George and St Elmo and Fairmont, plunging more ground-level footage into perpetual gloom and shadow.
ReplyDelete🎻🎻🎻🎻🙄
Delete7:03 - Yes, I was going to add the ever-increasing obstruction of the sun. Glad you did.
ReplyDeleteToo tall for this intersection.
ReplyDeleteThe height should be held to match the building behind it on Old Georgetown road in the mid graphic.
Oh gosh will I ever see the sun again?????
ReplyDelete4:32 - That's a silly comment. You'd do much better by offering a counter take. 1:33 is correct. Anyone who has ever sat at the tables at Veteran's Park can tell you the afternoon sun is very much blocked by quite a few of the new buildings that have gone up in recent years and only continuing obviously. Nothing against growth but smarter growth would be and would have been requiring much lower height levels. These are all 10 stories at least.
ReplyDeleteNothing against growth... HAHAAAHAAAAHAAAAHAAAAA!
ReplyDeleteOh boy, that's great. Coming from the source, who doesn't like asian food so thinks it shouldn't exist in Bethesda.
Hahaaaaa. Oh boy, that's great. Thanks for the laugh.