Chevy Chase Pavilion, like many businesses on the D.C. side of the line in Chevy Chase, hasn't been spared from the cratering of retail in Friendship Heights. As many of Montgomery County's wealthiest have fled to greener pastures in lower-tax jurisdictions in the region, they've taken the buying power that kept these gleaming malls and boutiques afloat in previous decades. Instead, Chevy Chase Pavilion is now seeking tenants for many retail and anchor spaces.
Empty storefronts are now a common sight along what was once touted as "Montgomery County's Rodeo Drive." Boutiques that were mainstays from the Kennedy to the Obama administration suddenly were closing their doors. But on the D.C. side, Lord & Taylor has closed. Mazza Gallerie is going to be torn down. And Chevy Chase Pavilion is struggling.
Chevy Chase Pavilion still has a lot going for it. Architecturally, the mall's interior is spectacular. The grand atrium is still a jaw-dropper, even if you wouldn't want to be in there during a hailstorm. J. Crew remains open. There are practical tenants like CVS Pharmacy. And they have The Cheesecake Factory, one of my favorite restaurants.
It's long been clear a new direction is needed to revive Friendship Heights, and Montgomery County in general. Unfortunately, with nine councilmembers each having taken thousands of dollars in contributions from developers, they are predictably telling us that more luxury apartments are the answer. They're not.
Friendship Heights needs more boardrooms, not more bedrooms - high-paying jobs and corporate headquarters that can boost County revenues, allowing us to lower the tax burden on residents, and bring back the money that can sustain high-end retail. New hotels could bring tourists and business travelers (might help to attract business first, though!) to fill shops and restaurants, people who would not generate the high costs in school construction and County services that apartment dwellers will.
Or, we can just keep going the way we've been going, and hope for another well-timed federal bailout every few years. Dumb luck isn't a fiscal strategy. The economic cycle will catch up with us eventually. When the music stops, many will be left without a chair.
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