The plot thickens at the Wilson Store in Bethesda

After sitting vacant for over a year, the relocated Wilson Store building suddenly has two suitors. First, owner Montgomery County announced its intent to lease the building to the County Department of Transportation as "office space."

But now EmbroidMe has declared it, too, is moving into the Wilson Store, which is now located at 4538 Middleton Lane on April 1, 2019. Its current 7030 Wisconsin Avenue location will then close.

The Wilson Store, also known as Community Paint & Hardware, is thought to be the last remaining 19th century building in downtown Bethesda. It was moved from its location next to 7272 Wisconsin Avenue to facilitate redevelopment of that property.

MCDOT to lease historic Wilson Store on Middleton Lane

The historic Wilson Store (a.k.a. Community Paint & Hardware) at 4538 Middleton Lane in downtown Bethesda has been available for lease for over a year. With no private sector takers, owner Montgomery County is now going to lease the vacant building to...Montgomery County. The County Department of Transportation is proposing to enter into a 1-year lease of the structure for $32,525. It will have an option to renew after one year with a 3% rent increase.

Montgomery County acquired the building from developer Carr Properties, and agreed to relocate it from its former location next to the now-demolished Apex Building to facilitate redevelopment of 7272 Wisconsin Avenue. The store, believed to be the last remaining 19th century building in downtown Bethesda, had previously been moved a short distance in the late 1980s, to make room for the Apex Building. This time, the move was to the County parking lot at 4538 Middleton, where the County hoped a doctor's office or beauty salon might lease the space. Several residents sued to stop the move, but it took place anyway.

Relocated Community Paint & Hardware store now for lease

The historic Wilson Store, a.k.a. Community Paint & Hardware, is now available for lease to potential retail tenants. Relocated to 4538 Middleton Lane in August, the store is the last remaining 19th century building in downtown Bethesda. It was relocated to make way for Carr Properties' new 7272 Wisconsin Avenue project, which has signed Fox 5 as its first tenant.

How much it will cost you to rent the old store is not disclosed in the listing. Montgomery County planners and Carr believed the store might be of interest to retail tenants, or professionals such as medical doctors and dentists.

Historic Community Paint & Hardware store moved in Bethesda (Videos + Photos)

Crowds of spectators turned out to watch the move of the historic Community Paint and Hardware store overnight in downtown Bethesda. Some were filled with nostalgia, others were simply trying to figure out why there was a massive police operation up and down Wisconsin Avenue. The police numbers were matched by the number of hard-hatted utility workers, who were charged with making sure neither their infrastructure nor the venerable building were damaged by the move.

The store, originally known as the Wilson Store, was moved to clear the way for the redevelopment of the Apex Building at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue. It was previously moved a short distance south in the late 1980s, when that building itself was constructed.

A massive police presence
was needed up and down
Wisconsin Avenue

Crowds began to gather
as southbound Wisconsin
was shut down

Utility workers would swing
each of these signal arms
aside as the store passed
each intersection

The store is ready to move

Two northbound lanes of
Wisconsin remained open

Utility workers had to
protect their infrastructure
while ensuring clearance
for the historic building

Workers manually turned
off traffic signals at each
intersection 

Finally, it was time to move the building, one half following the other, creeping slowly up Wisconsin Avenue to Middleton Lane. There, a site was prepared for the building's new home, in a Montgomery County public parking lot. It is expected to be leased to a professional or retail business.

Front half of store
rolling onto Wisconsin
Avenue

The rear half of the
building creeping up
Wisconsin Avenue

Rear half on Wisconsin

Police had to yell at drivers
who were snapping cell phone pics
to remind them that's illegal

First half of store reaches
Middleton Lane

Police ask crowd to step back
"in case anything goes wrong"
as store is backed down Middleton

Panoramic view of turn
at Middleton

Both halves pause at
Middleton Lane

Front half arrives
at Middleton

Traveling this far was the
easy part, though

Making the reverse turn
onto Middleton, and clearing
the Wisconsin median, were
the biggest challenge

A loud bang startled the
crew, causing a delay, but
eventually the first (rear)
half made the tricky turn

As the rear half starts down
Middleton, the front half
moves into position to begin
the turn to follow it

Rear half makes it
down Middleton to the
destination site

Front half makes the turn
onto Middleton

Front half moving down Middleton
past Chevy Chase Cars to
public parking lot site

Now all that's left is to put
the two pieces back together

Trees being cut down at Apex Building as plaintiffs continue fight to stop Wilson Store move

On Wednesday, workers began cutting down street trees around the Apex Building on Elm Street. Meanwhile, the local residents challenging the move of the historic Wilson Store/Community Paint and Hardware building next door to the Apex say they plan to appeal the recent Montgomery County Circuit Court decision upholding the Historic Preservation Commission's approval of the relocation to Middleton Lane.

The appeal is complicated by the wait for the judge's transcript that will make his decision final, before which time the appeal to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals cannot be filed. Plaintiffs are asking that production of the transcript be expedited. A second practical challenge is the fact that Carr Properties plans to move the building this weekend. Through their attorney, David Brown, the plaintiffs have asked that Carr postpone the move until their appeal can be heard.

Wilson Store

If successful at the Court of Special Appeals, the residents would then have standing to challenge the move before the County Board of Appeals. As I reported yesterday, the building has already been chopped in half and loaded onto the motorized dollies for this weekend's move.

Community Paint & Hardware hoisted onto dolly system for move (Photos)

The historic Wilson Store building, a.k.a Community Paint & Hardware, has been lifted up onto the motorized dolly system that will be used to move it to Middleton Lane this weekend. 7250 Wisconsin Avenue is believed to be the last 19th century building in downtown Bethesda, and is being moved for the second time in its life for the same reason: redevelopment of 7272 Wisconsin Avenue.

If you look closely at the photos, you can see the truck-size wheels beneath the two halves of the store, which were separated last week. Expert House Movers is the contractor moving the structure. The front of the store is currently sitting on a dolly in the driveway of the Apex Building.

Chopped! Historic Wilson Store cut in half (Photos)

The historic Wilson Store building at 7250 Wisconsin Avenue has been chopped in half, in preparation for relocating it to a Montgomery County parking lot on Middleton Lane. That move is scheduled to take place on around August 19, according to the County.

You can see that half of the building has already been raised; the structure will be moved on a motorized dolly system. A sketch of a map is posted, but it's unclear if it is related to the need to remove some obstructions along the route during the nighttime move. Perhaps one of our resident construction or engineering experts can decipher what that map is showing.

Believed to be the oldest, and only remaining 19th century, building in downtown Bethesda, the Wilson Store was later well known as Community Paint and Hardware. It was moved a short distance during the construction of the Apex Building at 7272 Wisconsin in the late 1980s. The latter building is being demolished to make way for a Carr Properties mixed-use project and Purple Line station.

Map

Close-up of beams placed
under the building

Crew preparing Bethesda's historic Wilson Store for cross-town move (Photos)

Work has begun on the relocation of the historic Wilson Store building at 7250 Wisconsin Avenue. It is the only 19th-century building remaining in downtown Bethesda, and was later known as Community Paint and Hardware. Most recently, it was home to United Bank.

This isn't the first time the store has moved for new development at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue - it was moved a short distance when the Apex Building was constructed in the late 1980s. But this move will be significantly farther than the first. Its new destination is a public parking lot on Middleton Lane. There are some concerns about the clearance on the streets the store will have to travel. Will traffic signals or trees have to be moved or trimmed, respectively?

I need some of our resident construction experts to weigh in on what exactly they are doing here to prepare for the relocation. They've excavated around the foundation, and you can see rebar sticking out of the rubble alongside the building. The move is to make way for the massive mixed-use project at 7272 Wisconsin by Carr Properties.