BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: ELEMENT 28 LUXURY APARTMENTS BY KETTLER (PHOTOS)

Work was really just getting started at the time of my last update on the future Element 28 luxury apartments, located at 7535 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. Now you can see deep excavation, and what is likely the surface entry point for the underground garage.

Looking towards
Wisconsin Avenue

You might be driving down
a garage entrance ramp
here one day

ELEMENT 28 BETHESDA LUXURY APARTMENTS CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

After the demolition of the former United Bank Branch, construction has begun on Element 28, a 15-story, 101-unit luxury apartment building at 7535 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. Developer Kettler is promising units of 1 to 3 bedrooms, 3500 SF of retail/restaurant space, a bicycle workshop, and an illuminated leaf public art installation.

Delivery is expected in late 2015.

BETHESDA BANK DEMOLITION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Demolition continues at the former United Bank building at 7535 Old Georgetown Road, in downtown Bethesda. United Bank has moved to 7845 Wisconsin Avenue. The bank is being replaced by a luxury residential building. Here is the progress so far (click photos to enlarge for detail):

Would you park here?

UNITED BANK MOVING IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

United Bank, for which a demolition permit has been requested, is moving from its 7535 Old Georgetown Road location to 7845 Wisconsin Avenue, at Chase Avenue. They will be taking over the old Charleston Alexander jewelry store space on the south corner, on the same block as CVS Pharmacy. Their move has been delayed a few days due to the recent snowstorm. United's regional manager, Ron Burley, says customers who have any questions may call 301-654-2757.

DEMOLITION PERMIT REQUESTED FOR BETHESDA BANK (PHOTO)

Developer Kettler has applied for a demolition permit for a former bank branch at 7535 Old Georgetown Road, in downtown Bethesda. The demolition will make way for the company's 15-story luxury apartment project.

7535 OLD GEORGETOWN ROAD: NEW IMAGES OF KETTLER 15-STORY LUXURY BUILDING AT COMMERCE LANE

Kettler has provided new images of its planned 15-story mixed-use "tower" at Old Georgetown Road and Commerce Lane, near the Bethesda Metro Center.

The project includes 120 apartments, and 5000 square feet of retail space.

New details include a rooftop with spectacular views, a roaring fireplace, seating areas, and even grills to put your steaks, burgers, hot dogs, etc. on.

The bad news? It's for building residents only!

With the Akridge Class A office building nearby having a private rooftop, as well, perhaps those of us on the ground may hear shouted queries of, "Would you happen to have any Grey Poupon?"

But, of course!

There is a mystery sculpture that the developer says is still under wraps, planned for the Old Georgetown Road entrance. The planning documents promise the sculpture will be of sufficient quality as to become a defining Bethesda landmark.

Let's hope so. Because the building concept itself is still lacking.

To try to explain, if I come up out of the Metro (assuming escalators are functioning!), if I look at the Capital One Building or the Bethesda Metro Center, I know I'm in downtown Bethesda immediately.

If I look at this proposed building, however... where am I?  Ballston? Rockville?  This building could be anywhere.   It's a decent, shoulder-shrugging design on the curved side.  But then they lapsed into that intolerable, "multi-color" trend so prevalent in our region in recent years, on the other sides of the building.

I don't get the message of that color concept. "Help, I've run out of the materials I was using - let's finish it with these other materials we have left over from another project?"

"I like all 3 of these designs. Instead of choosing one, let's just make it 3, 3 buildings in one!?"

It is a Frankenstein Effect, in my opinion. Most great buildings in the world do not look like a mash-up of  3 buildings.

My reaction to these multi-color, mixed use designs is similar to that of Jacques Pepin's when making an unannounced visit to a college dining hall kitchen.

Just pick one design and stick with it.

This one needs work.

It's just frustrating to add a lot of traffic, and whatever the effects will be on nearby residents structurewise, and not be getting the very best in design.

EXCLUSIVE FIRST IMAGES OF 15-STORY KETTLER APARTMENT BUILDING PROPOSED FOR 7535 OLD GEORGETOWN ROAD AND COMMERCE LANE IN BETHESDA

Developer Kettler last fall proposed a new, luxury apartment building for the former bank site at 7535 Old Georgetown Road and Commerce Lane in downtown Bethesda.

Now the first images of what the 15-story, 120-unit "tower" might look like from several angles. 15 stories that close to Metro sounds awfully short, if the Planning Board is really sincere about "Transit Oriented Development."

I just don't get this idea of having a whole lot of 10-15 floor buildings spread all over town, and looming over houses (e.g. The Darcy) and smaller condos (e.g. the Eastham's building that is going to basically "eat" Crescent Plaza). As opposed to putting all of these units into taller buildings right at the Bethesda Metro station. You're getting a lot of traffic, and the farther away the building, studies show, the fewer who ride transit. I don't think we'll run out of banks anytime soon. But we are running out of gas stations rapidly. Some may laugh about that, but we'll check who's laughing when a "superstorm" hits Bethesda, and we run out of gas. Ha ha, ho ho, indeed. Remember, Metro and buses all shut down. Good luck with that.

I'm willing to give Kettler a chance to show how this could be a design unique to Bethesda, and offer some sort of public amenities, before making a final judgment on the project. It's certainly not as bad as some that are currently under construction, architecturally. I'm just not being knocked out by the design at this stage.