PLANS FOR FRESH GRILL/LOT 667 REDEVELOPMENT UNVEILED IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Greenhill Capital held a pre-submittal meeting for its Lot 667 redevelopment plan last night in Bethesda. The presentation was made by Todd Brown of the Linowes and Blocher law firm. An L-shaped property fronting on Fairmont, St. Elmo, and Norfolk Avenues in the Woodmont Triangle, Lot 667's current structures are mostly vacant. Bold Bite and office space remain active at 4901 Fairmont Avenue, but former tenants Fresh Grill, BlackFinn, Dansez Dansez, Red Tomato Cafe and BCC Automotive have vacated the premises.

The plan unveiled last evening is a interim project, meaning that a more-ambitious redevelopment of the site - such as the proposal designed by architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc. - is being postponed to a future date. In short, new floors and new structures will be added to the buildings already there, to create a uniform facade. Eventually, after the second phase is completed, all of the structures will be connected, via the new structure in the center. As a reconstruction, no site plans will need to be submitted, Brown said. A preliminary plan will be filed with the county planning department this fall, however. The project will go to the planning board in the fall or winter, with construction beginning in spring of 2015.

The old Fresh Grill structure, condemned after damage caused by excavation on an adjacent property, will be reconstructed to make it habitable again. It will continue to be 1-story.

Bold Bite will remain in place on Fairmont Avenue, and the BlackFinn space at 4901-A Fairmont will be leased to a future tenant as expected. A new, 1-story addition will be added to the rear corner of the Fresh Grill space at the back of the driveway off of Fairmont Avenue.

Vacant storefronts formerly
inhabited by Dansez, Dansez
and Fresh Grill

Bold Bite is here
to stay on Fairmont

The Red Tomato building - also damaged and condemned - will be stabilized and reconstructed in a later Phase II of the project. It will receive an addition in the rear at that point, and a second story. All floors are currently expected to be retail space.

BCC Automotive building

Only the BCC Automotive structure will be razed. There will be slightly over 1000 SF of public space on the St. Elmo side of the property.

Overall, this is an opportunity for the landowner to finally get some revenue coming in from some of the now-vacant, condemned structures on the property. And a chance to reactivate some dead space along Fairmont and St. Elmo, assuming Bainbridge can get some exciting tenants for its ground-level retail/restaurant space next door to Lot 667.

BLACKFINN CLOSURE WREAKS HAVOC ON BETHESDA EVENT PLANNERS (PHOTOS)

The unexpected closure of BlackFinn has inconvenienced more than those seeking a Bud Light after work in downtown Bethesda. With its large space and convenient location, BlackFinn was a prime spot for events, fundraisers, and parties. When the doors locked for good, event planners found themselves scrambling.

It seems Brickside Food and Drink, a new bar 2 blocks down Norfolk at 4866 Cordell Avenue, has been the primary beneficiary. While an unaware few are approaching the locked doors of BlackFinn, many signs are being posted by event planners on those doors. And most of those events - planned prior to the sudden closure - have been shifted over to Brickside. At least one event, Cocktails and Connections (pictured above), was canceled.

While this has been a major inconvenience, fortunately there are other venues in town which have event space to accommodate future functions.

To Brickside we go!

GREENHILL LOCKS DOWN BLACKFINN AGAINST TRESPASSERS IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Greenhill Realty, the owner of the building that housed BlackFinn up until this week, has locked down the building. Signs have been posted to discourage anyone who would attempt to enter the now-vacant nightclub. Such signage is somewhat unusual for Bethesda. I recall the ousted ownership of Plaza del Sol on St. Elmo Avenue complaining they were locked out of the building by the landlord. But usually, you don't see signs in the windows like this around downtown Bethesda.

Taken with the end of the month having just passed, it does suggest that the rent was not paid, and the owner(s) may have been locked out as a result. A person familiar with the ownership told me rising rent had exceeded revenue for the restaurant/bar. Everything is frozen in time inside, just as it was left at the close of business on BlackFinn's last evening of operation. Obviously, whatever decor, materials and equipment that belong to the owner(s) - well, you can expect they'd want that back.

The locksmith sign indicates a concern by the landlord that someone might even try to dupe a locksmith into opening the doors without authorization from Greenhill.