Developer begins trash removal at vacant properties in Bethesda

The developer of the stalled Artena Bethesda project has begun removing trash and debris at the vacant properties at 7938-8008 Wisconsin Avenue, and 8011-13 Woodmont Avenue, in downtown Bethesda. Computer components, a portable grill, and other sizeable items are gone. Scattered trash and broken glass remain. The Virginia-based developer was cited for multiple code violations at the site earlier this month, and the eyesore properties have repeatedly been broken into by vagrants and the homeless. It has been a near-square-block size dead zone that is dark at night, hardly a safe and welcoming stretch for solo pedestrians along three major downtown streets, but a situation the Montgomery County Council is content to allow indefinitely. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Bethesda vacant properties hit with more code violations by Montgomery County (Video + Photos)

The vacant retail buildings associated with the long-stalled Artena Bethesda redevelopment project have been hit with another round of code violations by Montgomery County. Just a month after the Virginia-based developer was cited for failing to clear sidewalks in front of the properties at 7938-8008 Wisconsin Avenue, and 8011-13 Woodmont Avenue, code inspectors have issued multiple code violations for rubbish, dead limbs, computer components, electrical cords, dinnerware, and even a portable grill. The violation notices warn of fines and further consequences for "repeat offenders."

Meanwhile, the developer has just requested another extension for the project from the Montgomery County Planning Board. Incredibly, in a 69-page staff report, no mention is made of the ongoing code violations, vandalism and entry by vagrants and the homeless over many years, and the impact on the surrounding community of this decade-spanning eyesore. And the report shows only the 8008 Wisconsin lot being redeveloped with a single building, leaving the other parcels between that and the 8001 Woodmont apartment tower as they are...for how many more years? The staff report doesn't say. What are the taxpayers even paying these planners for?

Our Marxist-totalitarian-left County Council, which stymied original 8008 Wisconsin developer Douglas Development by demanding a Communist-style seizure of land by the government to the point that Douglas gave up and sold the property to Toll Brothers, is fully content to have these dilapidated structures greet those entering downtown Bethesda on Wisconsin Avenue from the north. The Council doesn't give a damn about you, or downtown Bethesda - even while smugly running for re-election, and in some cases, a promotion to County Executive. It's outrageous.

Landscapers cut back overgrowth at stalled-out development site in downtown Bethesda

Landscapers tackled overgrown shrubs, bushes, and other assorted vegetation at the historic building that once housed the iconic Sir Walter Raleigh Inn steakhouse at 8011 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda yesterday. The lot is one of several vacant properties that were supposed to be redeveloped as the Artena Bethesda apartments many years ago. That project remains stalled after several false starts, leaving the abandoned commercial buildings on them to fall into decay, and to be invaded by vagrants. The result has been to create an eyesore for much of a block between the former surplus store at 8008 Wisconsin Avenue and the 8011 Woodmont apartment tower, as well as on the Woodmont side.

Informational signs removed or spray-painted at stalled Bethesda development site

Informational signs regarding the redevelopment of abandoned properties at 8008 Wisconsin Avenue have been removed on the Cordell Avenue and Woodmont Avenue sides, and the signage on Wisconsin has been painted over with black spray paint. 8008 Wisconsin and the adjacent Artena Bethesda project have each been stalled for about a decade, leaving vacant storefronts decaying away in a prominent location. Buildings on both sites have been broken into frequently by vagrants. The developer of Artena Bethesda acquired the 8008 Wisconsin property 13 months ago, so it is possible that an entirely new project may be in the works that will combine both lots.

Fence broken by intruders at vacant Bethesda property repaired

The "security" fence around the property at 8008 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda was repaired yesterday. One or more intruders smashed the fence and crushed it downward to illegally gain access to the vacant buildings there earlier this week. Vagrants and vandals have repeatedly broken into the vacant storefronts at 8008 and 8000 Wisconsin Avenue, as well as the "beer house" behind them at the corner of Cordell and Woodmont Avenues. 

The buildings and lots in question have become eyesores, a danger and a public nuisance while the 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin redevelopment projects have repeatedly stalled out over the last decade. A fire and flood were started in one of the buildings by intruders this past fall. Montgomery County is apparently unwilling or unable to exercise control of the situation.

Intruders are back inside vacant Bethesda buildings

Intruders have once again broken into the row of vacant storefronts between 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. A fire and flood caused by a burglar inside one of the buildings a few months ago, along with a rampage of window smashing on the block, led to a moderately-stronger attempt to secure the properties. Alas, the most noticeable intrusion since then has occurred during the Christmas holiday. A portion of the security fence was damaged on the Cordell Avenue side of the property to gain access to the site. The situation has been caused by major delays in the two redevelopment projects planned for 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin; the developer of the 8000 site recently acquired the 8008 property from Toll Brothers, but groundbreaking for the Artena Bethesda tower at 8000 Wisconsin has again stalled out despite demolition permits being pulled for that portion of the block.

Artena Bethesda developer acquires adjacent 8008 Wisconsin property from Toll Brothers

Newly-acquired 8008 Wisconsin property is
outlined in red; total land area now 
controlled by Aksoylu Properties is
designated in blue

Toll Brothers has made no public announcement as of this morning, but the homebuilding giant has sold its 8008 Wisconsin Avenue property to Aksoylu Properties, the real estate firm that owns the adjacent 8000 Wisconsin lot in downtown Bethesda. Aksoylu has been gearing up to break ground on its long-delayed Artena Bethesda project on that assembled site. Now it also has control of the property next door, which is about half the size of the 8000 Wisconsin lot. Alas, it would be very expensive at this late stage to throw out its approved Artena preliminary, sketch and site plans to reimagine the Artena as a much larger development.

Of course, that cost might be offset by both the additional residential and retail units that would come with a larger project, along with the massive savings of being able to excavate and construct on both lots using the same contractors at the same time. Aksoylu also has the option of going forward with the Artena, and using the newly-acquired 8008 land as a staging area for construction. The sale closed October 31, 2023, according to state real estate records. Aksoylu paid Toll Brothers $9,125,000 for the property.

Break-ins resume at vacant Bethesda retail buildings

Vandals, burglars and vagrants just can't resist the temptation of breaking into the vacant retail buildings left rotting by the long-delayed 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin Avenue redevelopment projects. A fire and flood inside the former Parvizian rug building a couple of weeks ago led to many of these eyesore structures being boarded up. But yesterday, there was visible evidence that someone smashed their way back inside the Parvizian building, carefully jamming the pieces of the broken plywood back into the door frame.

It can't be ruled out that the intruder(s) might still be in there, as vagrants have squatted in the structures here before. The buildings have had demolition notices on them for years, but never get torn down. Meanwhile, the full half-block of blight weighs down the upscale chocolate shop, Trader Joe's grocery store, and luxury apartments directly adjacent to the deteriorating lots. In fact, the lobby entrance door to those new 8001 Woodmont apartments was shattered during that recent window smashing rampage at 8000 Wisconsin next door.

More vacant buildings boarded up in Bethesda (Photos)

Clearly someone has had enough of the break-ins, vandalism and squatting in the vacant buildings of the Woodmont Triangle. It's not yet clear who that is - the property owners, the police, or Montgomery County government officials (although it's hard to believe it's the property owners, as they haven't secured these buildings adequately for years). But someone has finally ordered the buildings on the sites of 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin Avenue to be boarded up, following Monday's burglary-fire-flood incident that followed Sunday's glass-smashing rampage on the block. Yesterday, lower rear windows and doors of the Saphire Cafe and Parvizian Rugs were sealed, and plywood was placed inside the windows of 8011 Woodmont Avenue.

The front porch of the abandoned Dunmor's (a.k.a. the "beer house") at 8013 Woodmont has recently become a hangout spot, complete with tables and chairs. Yesterday, that furniture was removed, and access to the porch and porch steps was physically blocked off. These buildings are still eyesores and create an abysmal pedestrian environment around that whole half block of Woodmont, Cordell and Wisconsin Avenues. 

Redevelopment projects planned for both sites - 8000 Wisconsin and 8008 Wisconsin - have been in development hell for about 6 years, but the Artena Bethesda project at 8000 Wisconsin had been expected to finally break ground before the end of this year. Public Parking Lot 43 on the 8000 Wisconsin site's Woodmont Avenue side (seen in the top two photos in this article) was closed earlier this summer for that express purpose. Stay classy, Bethesda!

Vacant Bethesda buildings boarded up after emergency response incident (Photos)

An emergency response requiring police, fire and water utility personnel at a vacant Bethesda building Monday morning has served as an "enough is enough" moment for some of the most-prominent eyesores in town...sort of. A set of empty buildings long awaiting demolition for the Artena Bethesda development has finally been boarded up, but only on the Wisconsin Avenue side. Glass windows facing Wisconsin Avenue - some of which were smashed over the weekend - of the former Saphire Cafe, Parvizian Rugs, and 8000 Barber Shop are now covered with boards. But no wood has been hammered over the windows on the Woodmont Avenue side, other than one that already was covered, and those on the front of the "beer house further up the block on Woodmont.

Following the smashed windows seen Sunday at the vacant properties, and next door at the new 8001 Woodmont apartments, police officers, firefighters and paramedics, WSSC water utility workers, and even a K-9 unit converged on the scene Monday morning. Montgomery County police and fire departments have been mum on what happened so far, but a reader who heard first responder communications via scanner gave a version of events that transpired. At least one suspect illegally trespassed in the vacant rug store, and apparently ignited a fire inside. This triggered the building's sprinkler system, and somehow resulted in the basement of the store flooding with 5 feet of water. Police were apparently informed that someone had been inside the store when the fire started, so they brought in the K-9 to search the building.

Most of the block north of 7900 Wisconsin Avenue and 8001 Woodmont Avenue has been vacant for several years, as the Artena Bethesda and 8008 Wisconsin redevelopment projects stalled out since 2016. The vacant storefronts along both sites have attracted vandals and vagrants repeatedly, with very little action taken in response by Montgomery County. It's unclear what prompted the overdue but partial boarding-up yesterday - a new sense of caution by the Artena developer, or the exasperation of police and fire departments having to deal with the ongoing problems at these properties. While the Artena project is finally expected to break ground soon, 8008 is still tied up in a pending land deal, after which that project is also expected to belatedly move forward.