UPDATE - March 8, 2021: This article has been updated to include a statement from Federal Realty regarding the future of Uncle Julio's at Bethesda Row
Additional details about a new development project proposed for 7070 Arlington Road at Bethesda Row emerged at a required community meeting that was held virtually last night. Representatives for property owner Federal Realty made a presentation featuring the renderings I showed you last week, and answered questions for about 50 participants, one of the highest number of people to participate in a virtual development meeting since they became the norm.
One key detail revealed was that the proposed building will be 100' tall despite the site being zoned for a 90' height limit. The extra floor will be made possible by the number of affordable units being included in the building. Federal Realty has not determined the dimensions of units yet, as they plan to respond to current market conditions - such as greater numbers of people working from home, and needing more living space for that reason.
Another prominent topic was the future of Uncle Julio's at the corner of Arlington and Bethesda Avenue. It will have to be demolished to make room for the northernmost wing of the building, but there is currently no set closing date for Uncle Julio's, nor a groundbreaking date for the new project. One attendee expressed a positive opinion about the existing Uncle Julio's structure.
In a response to public discussion about the future of Uncle Julio's, Federal Realty released the following statement:
Uncle Julio’s has been a fixture in Bethesda for over 33 years and a partner with Federal Realty for almost 20 years. Amid the excitement of our proposed plan to add housing to downtown Bethesda at Bethesda Row, there has been some confusion about whether or not Uncle Julio’s is leaving the neighborhood. While we have taken the first steps toward seeking approval for a residential and retail project, it could take several years to bring to fruition. We value our relationship with Uncle Julio’s and plan to keep them as a fixture at Bethesda Row for many years to come.
Even the architectural design is not determined yet, Stefano Sani of architecture firm Hickok Cole said last night. The objective will be "warm, friendly textured materials with interesting articulation,” he said. Retail or restaurant space will be integrated into the building on the ground floor along Arlington Road. One architectural detail that is set is the through-building delivery and loading dock roadway on the Arlington Road side of the property.
Balconies will be designed to connect outdoor and indoor living space for residents, and the corner of the property where Uncle Julio's stands is hoped to be a place for people to meet up. Attorney Patricia Harris said Federal Realty would like to design a corner similar to the one across Bethesda Avenue outside of Amazon Books, saying that corner areas are among the most interesting spaces in downtown Bethesda.
Also known is that parking will be underground, and an automated parking system is also anticipated for the rear of the building. It will be stacked parking run by a mechanical system. This will be the second development in downtown Bethesda to boast a robotic parking system if such a mechanism is delivered with the building (the other is the proposed residential building at the southwest corner of Edgemoor Lane and Woodmont Avenue). Some of the current surface parking behind the low-rise retail stores on Bethesda Avenue will be retained, as well.
As I described last week, retail trucks will enter the driveway from Arlington Road, parallel park on a drive lane beneath the building, and proceed forward to exit on the Bethesda Avenue side of the property. Moving vans and other delivery trucks will back up to the residential loading dock using the same pass-through, or will pull up in the automated parking system lane. All back-up activities are to take place off-street. Uber and Lyft vehicles will also use the same pass-through to pick up and drop off residents and guests.
Sani said that Federal Realty is seeking strong interaction between the outdoor and indoor spaces on the ground floor. Restaurant tenants may have roll-up front doors, for example.
Harris was asked about litigation "regarding actually meeting affordable housing in your properties." She said she was unaware of such litigation. Harris added that the only problem she has heard of has been MPDU condominiums that might charge high condo fees, and that this will not be an issue for rental apartments. The topic of developer contributions to Montgomery County Councilmembers was also raised at one point.
