Bethesda-based Orano USA receives $900 million from USDOE for uranium enrichment plant

Orano USA, the American division of the French nuclear fuel cycle corporation, has received a $900 million award from the United States Department of Energy to produce low-enriched uranium at its new U.S. enrichment facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Headquartered at 4747 Bethesda Avenue in downtown Bethesda, Orano USA is one of only three companies to receive the DOE funding, which totals $2.7 billion. The money is part of the Trump administration push to increase domestic uranium enrichment capacity, and increase nuclear energy production to support American leadership in artificial intelligence. America is working against time in this regard, as enriched uranium imports from Russia - one of our major suppliers - will be banned in 2028.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright

"President Trump is catalyzing a resurgence in the nation’s nuclear energy sector to strengthen American security and prosperity," U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement. "Today’s awards show that this Administration is committed to restoring a secure domestic nuclear fuel supply chain capable of producing the nuclear fuels needed to power the reactors of today and the advanced reactors of tomorrow."

Orano USA CEO Jean-Luc Palayer

"We are honored by DOE’s decision to identify Project IKE as a key driver for U.S. energy security," said Orano USA CEO Jean-Luc Palayer said Monday. "Orano’s Project IKE facility is designed to generate a secure and significant American-based supply of enriched uranium. For Orano, there is no mystery to making enriched uranium—and a lot of it—when you have reliable centrifuges, existing transport containers, and enrichment processes refined over decades of successful commercial operations."

Project IKE facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee 

Orano has exported enriched uranium from France to supply America's fleet of nuclear reactors for the last forty years. With the Tennessee facility, Orano USA will be able to continue to provide this stable supply domestically, with high-wage American jobs.

Aventino/AP Pizza Shop set opening date in Bethesda

Aventino and sister pizzeria AP Pizza Shop have been looking ready to open any day now at 4747 Bethesda Avenue, and now there is an opening date. Chef-owner Mike Friedman announced on Instagram that both will open next Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Aventino will feature Italian cuisine - specifically, that of The Eternal City. New Jersey deck-oven pizza will be the specialty of AP Pizza Shop, by the pie or by the slice, with a walk-up takeout window on Bethesda Avenue for the aspiring John Travoltas of Bethesda. Go ahead and stack the slices - no judgement!

Signage installed at Aventino in Bethesda (Photos)

Permanent signage was installed at Aventino, the Roman-Italian restaurant opening soon at 4747 Bethesda Avenue. In font and appearance, it definitely captures a Roman Empire vibe. But unless additional lighted signage is added, as it stands now, Aventino is playing second banana to the AP Pizza Shop it will be sharing this space with. The pizzeria's lighted blade signage is much more attention-getting for pedestrians and drivers alike at the moment - and Bethesda pizza lovers might say that's the way it should be.

Update on AP Pizza Shop, opening soon in Bethesda (Photos)

After missing several target opening dates since 2022, AP Pizza Shop is finally close to opening at 4747 Bethesda Avenue. Signage has just been installed, as have seating, counters and light fixtures inside. Workers are painting the interior this afternoon. Several Artemide light fixture boxes can be seen stacked in the future dining area. Chef Mike Friedman's deck oven pizza concept will share the ground floor space with Friedman's other venture, Aventino, a restaurant that will specialize in the cuisine of Rome, Italy.

Takeout window appears as Aventino/AP Pizza Shop construction advances in Bethesda (Photos)

Aventino and AP Pizza Shop may have missed their hoped-for October 2023 opening date, but there are visible signs that the wait may not be much longer for chef-owner Mike Friedman's newest venture at 4747 Bethesda Avenue. The outdoor takeout window has been installed on the storefront, and the glass panes are in place. Tony Manero would approve!! Alas, all windows are still papered over, so the status of the interior fit-out remains a mystery for now.

4747 Bethesda Avenue entrance glass being worked on again (Photos)

If this looks familiar, you've seen it before: The glass entryway at the recently-constructed 4747 Bethesda Avenue office building having some work done. Similar efforts were needed to repair damaged glass panels in October 2020 and this past January. It's unclear what the specific cause of each incident has been, with some pointing to the self-shattering/falling glass issues that have plagued several post-"Great Recession" buildings over the last decade downtown, and one reader suggesting an errant truck maneuver had caused the 2020 damage (questionable, considering there is no roadway close to the doors). All that's certain is that this glass entrance has at least three times been seen with shattered glass, blue "Xs" over damaged panels, and/or the coverings as you see here.

Aventino Cucina & AP Pizza Shop now aiming for October opening in Bethesda

It's been more than two years since I reported that Chef Mike Friedman planned to open Aventino Cucina and AP Pizza Shop at 4747 Bethesda Avenue. Work finally got underway inside the space a year ago, and I even had photographic proof of that. But there was no word since on the sit-down Roman casual restaurant and New Jersey deck-oven pizzeria. Now Eater DC reports that Friedman is hoping to open both next month.

Lobby entrance repairs at 4747 Bethesda Avenue (Photos)

There's some extensive work being done on the glass panels of the lobby entrance at 4747 Bethesda Avenue. A team was working on the glass-box-design entrance after hours last night. Panels shattering by themselves have been an issue at the new Class A office building previously. It's unclear if that is the reason for the work this time, but it is the same spot as before.

Glass has fallen and/or shattered at many new downtown Bethesda buildings built since the recession, including 4500 East-West Highway, Cheval Bethesda, and the Flats at 8300. The mysterious breakage has been blamed by at least one expert in the field on flawed imported Chinese glass.'

Construction begins on Aventino restaurant in Bethesda (Photos)

The interior fit-out of Chef Mike Friedman's Aventino restaurant and AP Pizza Shop has begun at 4747 Bethesda Avenue. It's been nearly 18 months since I first broke the story about the new Roman Italian eatery, but as you can see here, work has finally begun inside the space in the ground floor of JBG Smith's Class A office building. Aventino will serve "peasant food" dishes inspired by simple Italian and Jewish recipes of Rome, and is anticipated to open in early 2023.

Chef Mike Friedman bringing Aventino Italian restaurant & AP Pizza Shop to Bethesda

JBG Smith has signed another major restaurant tenant at its new development on Bethesda Avenue. Chef Mike Friedman - the restaurateur behind The Red Hen, Boundary Stone and All Purpose Pizza in D.C. - will open Aventino and an AP Pizza Shop in the ground floor of 4747 Bethesda Avenue. 

Aventino will feature Roman-style Italian cuisine in an array of classic and seasonal dishes. The pizza shop will bring Friedman's "Jersey-fresh" deck-oven pizza to downtown Bethesda. In operation, the duo of eateries will be similar to the co-located Stella Barra-Summer House pizzeria/restaurant at Pike & Rose.

What is "deck-oven" pizza? In the case of All Purpose, it is a ~600-degrees-hot oven in which the pizzas are cooked for six minutes, as opposed to the recent "fast-fired" trend. The dough is fermented for three days. Aventino and AP Pizza Shop will join JBG Smith's other recent signing next door, Tacombi, on Bethesda Avenue.

Shattered glass at Bethesda Avenue office building (Photos)

Shattering or falling glass continues to be a minor issue at recently-constructed buildings in downtown Bethesda. I have not seen any panels fall at the new 4747 Bethesda Avenue office building. But this is at least the second time I have noticed shattered glass panels at the lobby entrance.

Deep cleaning is most visible anti-coronavirus measure at Bethesda buildings

Covid-19 is primarily a respiratory illness spread through the air. But aside from masks, the most visible means deployed to fight it in public and commercial spaces is disinfecting and deep cleaning. This can range from existing staff using bleach and other typical household disinfectants on high-touch surfaces, to bringing in a special team to perform a "deep cleaning."

That's what we've seen at several downtown Bethesda office buildings since the pandemic began. Here you can see a team at work after hours, deep-cleaning the lobby of JBG Smith's new Class A office building at 4747 Bethesda Avenue.

JBG Smith welcomes tenants at 4747 Bethesda Avenue (Photos)

It looks like developer JBG Smith is expecting visitors at its new office building at 4747 Bethesda Avenue, likely representatives or employees of the pre-leased tenants touring the property, which include JBG Smith itself. A large welcome sign has been placed by the elevator banks at the rear of the lobby, where the protective covers have been whipped off of the furniture.

You'll also notice an impressive new light feature, waves of bulbs mounted high above the lobby. Finally, you can see tenant names stenciled on the glass at the front of the building. Contrary to previous rumors, the ground floor retail/restaurant space is still available for lease, with large window screens now making that status official. Let's hope it goes to a restaurant open beyond bankers' hours.