KONST KITCHEN INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Yesterday, we talked about one downtown Bethesda office building struggling to attract corporate tenants in Montgomery County's abysmal office market. Here's an update from the other new Class A building downtown, which has shifted its focus to smaller tenants - Akridge's impressive 7550 Wisconsin Avenue. Seizing on the once-again-exploding market for kitchen remodeling in Bethesda, the developer signed on the only official SieMatic showroom in the area, KONST Kitchen Interior Design.

If you remember my first report on KONST, you'll won't recognize the empty space you saw in those original photos now:

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT ISSUED FOR SANDY SPRING BANK AT 7550 WISCONSIN AVE. IN BETHESDA

A Montgomery County construction permit has been issued for the new Sandy Spring Bank branch, in the Class A office building at 7550 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. The 3,250 square foot branch will be on the ground level of Akridge's completely renovated and reskinned 10-story office tower, located near the Bethesda Metro Station. Sandy Spring will also be leasing office space on another floor in the building.

KONST KITCHEN INTERIOR DESIGN SHOWROOM OPENING IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

An upscale kitchen design showroom is the latest tenant to sign on at Akridge's 7550 Wisconsin Avenue office tower in Bethesda. The completely-renovated building initially struggled to draw tenants, due to Montgomery County's weak office market. But after the company shifted to a strategy of luring smaller businesses, rather than major corporate tenants, it has indeed attracted a number of smaller-scale firms.

The newest is KONST Kitchen Interior Design, which will open a SieMatic Showroom at 7550 this fall. Jonas Carnemark, a Bethesda designer and owner of CARNEMARK systems + design, Inc., is the man behind the future showroom. Originally from Sweden, Carnemark has made a name for himself here, as a remodeler who has appeared on Good Morning America, and Food Network.

Carnemark says he was originally approached by SieMatic, a German kitchen design firm, to open a showroom in the DC area, and KONST is the result - the exclusive dealer for SieMatic in the region.

SANDY SPRING BANK LEASES SPACE AT 7550 WISCONSIN AVENUE

A 140-year-old local financial institution will be the second tenant in the vacant, Class A office building at 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, in downtown Bethesda. Sandy Spring Bank has leased second floor office space in the Akridge-owned property, and is constructing a financial center for its trust, private banking, commercial banking and mortgage divisions. HITT Contracting is working on the project.

In addition, Sandy Spring will open a bank branch on the building's first floor. That bank should open in the late 3rd or early 4th quarter of 2014, according to a Sandy Spring spokesperson.

7550 Wisconsin has been struggling to attract tenants since its completion over a year ago, recently aiming for smaller tenants by dividing the fourth floor into sections. The building is not alone in Montgomery County; the overall office market is weak countywide, with no major corporations showing any interest in moving here. Given that situation, we are fortunate to have smaller-but-successful banks like Sandy Spring and Bethesda's EagleBank, to put some stimulus into the local economy. Another local company, L-Soft, became the first tenant about 3 weeks ago, capitalizing on the county's lease incentives for smaller spaces.

The new lobby of 7550 Wisconsin

WITH LARGE FIRMS STEERING CLEAR, MONTGOMERY COUNTY LOWERS EXPECTATIONS ON OFFICE LEASING

AKRIDGE DIVIDING FLOOR

INTO SMALLER SUITES

IN BETHESDA; SPACES

QUALIFY FOR NEW

COUNTY SUBSIDY

What was once denied, is now the newest buzzphrase in Montgomery County: the county office market is weak. With no large employer moving to the county in over a decade, the government - and struggling office building owners - are scrambling to temper once-high hopes.

The gleaming building at 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, that was completely renovated into a Class A office tower by developer Akridge, was poised to become a hot business address. 18 months later? It's a vacant monument to a business climate that fails to appeal to major firms searching America for a new corporate headquarters.

With no significant policy or taxation changes on the horizon, no plans to build a new Potomac River crossing for the Dulles Airport access international firms demand, and landlords having to still pay their bills while vacant, some are now thinking small.

Montgomery County's Economic Development Fund is now offering a program designed to attract smaller firms to vacant office space in the county. The MOVE program will offer $4-per-square-foot rent subsidies to a first-time renting firm that meets 4 criteria. Spaces that qualify are limited to those between 2,000 and 10,000 square feet.

Akridge is ahead of the downward curve in Bethesda.

The company is currently in the process of dividing the fourth floor of 7550 Wisconsin into 3 suites - on spec, as there are still no tenants. But going forward, those new suites would likely qualify for the new MOVE subsidy. There are still many other floors in the building, however. According to a source, Akridge is open to dividing other floors into suites, if the initiative proves successful on the fourth floor.

7550 WISCONSIN AVENUE NEW LOBBY PHOTO GALLERY

Finally, I have here for you a complete photo gallery of the gleaming new main lobby of 7550 Wisconsin Avenue.

7550 is the first new Class A office space in downtown Bethesda in over a decade.

Take note that Ethan Hunt left his sunglasses on the lobby's still-under-wraps front desk.

For you, readers, this exclusive preview is Mission: Possible.

GLEAMING NEW LOBBY AT 7550 WISCONSIN AVENUE (PHOTO)

Here's a photo of the brand-new main lobby at the future Class-A office tower 7550 Wisconsin Avenue.

BETHESDA'S FIRST NEW CLASS A OFFICE BUILDING IN 11 YEARS DAZZLES AFTER DARK - EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

FUNCTION FOLLOWS

FORM WITH AMENITIES,

GREEN FEATURES IN

AKRIDGE'S SLEEK NEW

DOWNTOWN ADDRESS

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Bethesda heard quite a bit about the 7550 Wisconsin redevelopment project when it was announced.  Developer Akridge even won several awards before the work was done.  In essence, architectural firm Shalom Baranes was tasked with turning a pumpkin into Cinderella's carriage.

And I'm rather surprised to report to you that, by golly, they just may have done it.

 Granted, the building's basic shape is simply a boring box.  But check out all that glass.  After dark, this building is a 10-story stunner.    While regular readers know my preference for taller skyscrapers, shortness aside, this is the kind of design we need more of in downtown Bethesda.

The slight contrast of the ground floor with the upper levels is appropriate, given that after business hours, that retail and restaurant space will still be active.

7550's amenities include a fitness center, commuter bike storage, secure underground garage, and one other special feature - the rooftop.

I want to be on the guest list for parties on this rooftop!  Alas, the roof will not be open to the public, but only to tenants of the building.

Not only does the roof have stunning views and a nice design you can't see from street level, but it is part of the LEED Gold environmental design.  Besides being an event space, it is a landscaped green roof.

The fact that this is the first Class A office building to be delivered downtown in over a decade, speaks again to Montgomery County's crippling lack of vision and leadership.  And, of course, that poor stewardship has directed development out to White Flint, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Science City, etc., rather than in more appropriate places like downtown Bethesda and Silver Spring.

There's something odd about claiming we are going to add 100,000 people to the county, and at the same time, having 19 stories be the maximum building height in downtown Bethesda.  We should be building skyscrapers here, rather than trying to urbanize suburban neighborhoods by bulldozing homes and shopping centers.

In short, (pun intended) we need more projects of the quality of 7550 Wisconsin.  Just taller, and more Dubai than MoCo in design.