Old Bethesda Marriott HQ demolition underway (Photos)

Demolition of the former Marriott International headquarters building is underway at 10400 Fernwood Road in Bethesda. The company moved last year to a new office tower at 7750 Wisonsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. 

Will a major corporate HQ be taking over the old Marriott property? Nope. Moribund Montgomery County hasn't attracted a major corporate HQ in over 25 years. Instead, the Marriott site will in 2025 become home to...a retirement community. Womp womp. Another humiliation for the 2014-2018 County Council, who were at the helm when the future of this site was determined, and also fumbled away the Discovery HQ during that same term. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Another assault in Rock Spring area of Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to investigate a 2nd-degree assault in the Rock Spring area on Wednesday afternoon, November 9, 2022. The assault was reported on the street in the 6700 block of Rockledge Drive at 4:31 PM. That was the second assault in a week in Rock Spring, with the first taking place November 2. It's interesting that as Montgomery County has begun converting this quiet office park area to residential zoning, crime is suddenly increasing.

Assault reported in Rock Spring area of Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault in the Rock Spring area of Bethesda on Wednesday morning, October 2, 2022. The assault was reported in the 6400 block of Rock Forest Drive at 10:41 AM Wednesday.

Mo's Mocha reopens in Bethesda

Mo's Mocha has reopened at 6555 Rock Spring Drive, in the Atrium office building, in Bethesda. Owner Moe Eghtesadi serves up breakfast and lunch items at this convenient cafe in a classic Bethesda office building - and a variety of coffees and other hot and cold beverages, of course. Hours at Mo's Mocha are 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday; the cafe is closed on weekends. Atrium tenants are excited to have this dining option in the building again; Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic delivered a card from its staff welcoming Mo's back.

Photos courtesy Mo's Mocha

Pickpocket at Rock Spring office building

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a pickpocket at an office building in the Rock Spring area of Bethesda on Wednesday afternoon. At least one pocket was picked in an office building in the 6400 block of Rockledge Drive. Crime data suggests a credit or debit card was among the items lost to the pickpocket.

Fourth try for stalled Rock Spring Centre development in the works (Photos)

Project density reduced to delay high-rises

in favor of mid-rise residential and

retail anchored by grocery store

Rock Spring Centre, a major mixed-use development in North Bethesda that has been stalled since 1998, is coming out of the cobwebs for a fourth time by my count. And it's taking a suburban turn away from the original urban concept for now, due to a weakening in the Montgomery County real estate market. In a new site plan amendment, developers seek to significantly reduce the number of residential units in two high-rise buildings for Phase 1 and Phase 2, to allow for more-immediate development of 133100 SF of non-residential uses and 610 residential units in Phase 3 at the lower southeast corner of the property. Any other uses would be relegated to a new Phase 4 in the future.

The project had been revived once in 2011, and partner Peterson Cos. dropped out the following year. In the fall of 2015, DRI attempted to move a revised plan without a movie theater forward, but financing proved to be an issue when an additional investment partner did not materialize. By 2019, the project's approvals were set to expire, which would have scuttled the whole plan. A team of Rock Spring Properties, Floyd E. Davis Company and Buchanan Partners sought and received an extension last July.

View from helicopter over future
Rock Spring Plaza and forest
conservation area

At the time, the applicants' attorney, Steven A. Robins, told the Montgomery County Planning Board that the plan had "evolved" since 2015, and that a new preliminary plan would be filed at a later date. Now we have a site plan amendment in the works, which would reduce the number of residential units in Rock Spring Tower One by 226 units and in Rock Spring Tower Two by 227 units. This density would then be transferred to the Phase 3 development. In other words, consider Phase 3 to be "Phase 1" at this point.

View across Rock Spring Drive from
helicopter above Walter Johnson/Giant side

The applicant developers are the same as in 2019. In a statement filed with the Montgomery County Planning Department by the applicants' law firm, Lerch Early & Brewer, the developers explain that "[t]here currently is not a market to support construction of high-rise residential towers on the Property." As a result, they are now seeking to build the Phase 1 and 2 towers with only 125 units in each building at a later date, if the market improves for high-rises.

View from northbound
Old Georgetown Road

A ground lease on the property forbids condo development, so all units at Rock Spring Centre will be rental-only. The developers stress that the amendments being sought are primarily to position a larger Phase 3 for successful realization, by ensuring there are enough residents in the Phase 3 area to support the significant retail that will be located there.

Residential and retail buildings at corner of
Old Georgetown and Rock Spring Drive
showing internal parking

Phase 3 will be split into two sub-phases, 3a and 3b. Phase 3a will include a shopping center with surface parking, anchored by a grocery store, and with a drive-thru restaurant pad site at the southeast corner facing Old Georgetown Road and the future Quarry Knoll Drive. It will also include a 6-story residential building with up to 305 units and up to 33000 SF of ground floor retail. That building will have six levels of parking, five of which will be "semi-concealed" by storefronts, residential units or architectural treatments.

Grocery store-anchored shopping center
with surface parking, drive-thru restaurant
a block north of the mixed-use part of Phase 3

The developers note that drive-thrus have even greater importance now in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. They also say that the location and current market demand a traditional, auto-centric retail center at this time, and that they will have the option to develop a building on the surface parking when the market calls for it at a later date, "when the market can support a more 'urban' grocery store at this location."

Grocery store

Phase 3b will feature a 7-story residential building with up to 309 units, and up to 23300 SF of ground floor retail space. It will have a 6-story above-ground parking structure with concealing treatments similar to the other building. The developers are leaving the option open to build Phases 3a and 3b separately, or simultaneously, based upon market demand.

View from Rock Spring Drive

The developers say that there will be three points of emphasis in the Phase 3 development: significant forested areas that will remain preserved on the site, the natural water feature from which the property derived its name, and pedestrian safety. An internal spine road, Stone Gate Lane, will connect Old Georgetown Road with Rockledge Boulevard. It will have street parking, but be wider than the internal roads of Pike & Rose. There will be street trees and outdoor cafe seating.

View from across Old Georgetown Road

A main internal intersection - Stone Gate Lane at Stone Spring Street - will be constructed as a "tabletop intersection." The roadway will be flush with the sidewalk there, and have special pavers, bollards, lighting and planting the applicants state will calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety. It will also be the gateway to a 0.60 acre Rock Spring Plaza public space and the forest conservation area beyond it. Rock Spring Plaza will have an active water feature, performance space and seating areas.

Current state of the interior of
the Estate House on the property

Immediately adjacent to the plaza and forest area will be a replica of the existing Estate House, the original family home which currently still stands on the property. It will house retail or a restaurant. The developers are in discussions with the Planning Department and Montgomery Parks about the possibility of creating an interim recreational field atop stormwater management space at the corner of Rockledge Drive and Rockledge Boulevard.

A signaled intersection will provide safer access to the property from Walter Johnson High School across Rock Spring Drive. Recreational trails traversing the forest conservation areas are planned, but most other recreational features will be for residents of the future buildings.

According to the developers, the project can build up to 1250 units, and will not be impacted by a development moratorium related to school overcrowding.

The downsizing at Rock Spring is the latest evidence that the market for apartments and condos is weakening in Montgomery County. Virtually every new high-rise apartment building since the Great Recession is hosting airbnb hotel guests, students, and contract housing recipients, rather than all actual renters paying full rent.

A Westbard redevelopment plan rammed through over resident objections is already partially collapsing from the late realization of what residents had argued from the beginning - there just isn't much demand for residential or retail space in a town already dotted with vacant apartments and storefronts. Sector plans that similarly gave away the store to developers in places like Wheaton and Forest Glen have stalled out entirely. Just yesterday, the County Council proposed giving developers a sweetheart deal to build at Metro stations in those areas - 15 years of paying no property taxes, even as residents were socked with yet another property tax increase in the FY-2021 budget.

In making the announcement, Councilmember Hans Riemer acknowledged that there is currently no market demand for such multifamily projects in Montgomery County. He did not articulate why taxpayers should subsidize developments for which there is currently no market, probably because the whole idea makes no sense whatsoever.

Fortunately, Rock Spring Centre is not seeking such taxpayer handouts. It still looks like it could be a pretty good development in this form, if the right retail and restaurant tenants can be attracted. That is a challenge in itself, in moribund Montgomery County. But the site has always had the advantage of being right at an interstate interchange, a potential traffic generator that downtown Bethesda and Westbard do not share.

Montgomery County ending Rock Spring Express Bus on Friday

Fake-out resembles

false promises at Westbard

Montgomery County started a free Express Bus route between the Grosvenor Metro station and Rock Spring at taxpayer expense a few years ago, when officials were trying to deodorize their scheme to transform the office park area into more residential housing. Now with the plan passed by the Planning Board and County Council, and the developers having reaped their profits, guess what? The Express Bus will go "poof!" and disappear tomorrow, Friday, May 10, 2019.

Residents of the new housing at Rock Spring who thought they would continue to have this amenity that was advertised when they moved in? Get out your wallet, or get a good pair of walking shoes.

This resembles the false promises made during the Westbard sector plan process. A transit center was promised, only to be deleted later by the Council, saving the developer big bucks and providing more buildable space and bigger profits. Then the Council removed a requirement for the developer to provide a shuttle to the Friendship Heights Metro station, which is two miles from the planned Westbard redevelopment.

You've been had, folks.

Fire at The Westmoreland Building in Rock Spring area of Bethesda

UPDATE 8:57 AM: The fire has been extinguished, according to MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer. It appears so far to have been limited to the roof area, Piringer said. Over 60 firefighters are on-scene.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services personnel are responding to a fire at The Westmoreland Building at 6430 Rockledge Drive in Bethesda. Heavy smoke is rising from the roof of the office building, according to firefighter radio transmissions. The fire was reported shortly before 8:30 AM this morning.

Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic moves to Rock Spring offices

The Atrium at Rock Spring Park

Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic has moved out of the Kenwood Professional Building in Bethesda, as expected.  However, now we know their new address. The anchor office tenant of the 5272 River Road office building has relocated to the Rock Spring office park area further north in Bethesda. Their new home is The Atrium at Rock Spring Park, located at 6555 Rock Spring Drive.

Westfield moving forward with massive development on Montgomery Mall property

Addition includes

retail, a hotel and

apartments

Sooner than expected, Westfield is advancing plans to redevelop parts of its Westfield Montgomery Mall property in Bethesda. The international mall operator is preparing to submit plans to Montgomery County for 370,492 SF of new retail and hotel space, and a 682-unit apartment building.

Jim Agliata, Vice President of Development at Westfield, had promised that a future 400,000 SF addition to the mall would be more like Bethesda Row than the current indoor mall. However, few were expecting a major development like this to move forward so soon.

There will be great community interest in the traffic and school impacts of this project, on top of the massive WMAL Toll Brothers development nearby, and on how Westfield will manage parking once this is built. The mall already has a parking crunch during prime shopping periods as it is. Westfield recently relocated the mall's transit center to make room for future development.

A public meeting regarding the new development is scheduled for this Wednesday, June 20, 2018, at 7:00 PM in the Walter Johnson High School All-Purpose room at 6400 Rock Spring Drive.

Rock Spring sector plan public hearing set for December 1

The Montgomery County Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing on the Rock Spring sector plan draft for Thursday, December 1. Those interested in testifying will be able to sign up online beginning ten days prior to the hearing date. The plan covers several office parks and retail centers along Democracy Boulevard, Rockledge Drive, Rock Spring Drive, and Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda.

Residents have expressed concerns about the impact on the Walter Johnson school cluster from the proposed residential development in the plan, as well as pedestrian safety and green space. Most of the development will come from redevelopment of existing office parks, and on a significant greenfield property across from Walter Johnson High School, which has been delayed for years. The permit for construction of that promising project, Rock Spring Centre, is nearing its expiration date.

MCPS forecaster says new ES needed for Rock Spring, White Flint 2 school capacity

Bruce Crispell, Director of the Division of Long Range Planning for Montgomery County Public Schools, gave his forecast last night for how many students he expects the Rock Spring and White Flint 2 sector plans to generate. Also at the meeting at Luxmanor Elementary were other MCPS officials to outline the Walter Johnson cluster roundtable discussions, and the new Subdivision Staging Policy currently being reviewed by the County Planning Board.

The night got off to a rough start as technical difficulties prevented the detailed presentation from being projected onto the screen. Speakers had to then go forward with no Powerpoint slides. The presentation is promised to be on the Rock Spring and White Flint 2 pages on the Planning Department website at some point today.

Crispell's prediction for the mid-size alternative for Rock Spring is:

70 ES students
30 MS students
35 HS students

For the maximum 2400-unit build-out of Rock Spring, he forecasts:

135 ES
60 MS
75 HS

All of those go into the Walter Johnson cluster.

For White Flint 2, a small portion of students will go into the Downcounty Consortium Cluster of schools:

Mid-size build-out (524 units):

45 ES
20 MS
25 HS

Max build-out for the DCC (871 units):

75 ES
30 MS
40 HS

In the Walter Johnson cluster for White Flint 2, the mid-size build-out option would generate:

250 ES
105 MS
130 HS

The max build-out of White Flint 2 (4920 new units) would generate this many students in the WJ cluster:

285 ES
120 MS
150 HS

The combined numbers for both clusters from White Flint 2 in mid-size scenario:

320 ES
135 MS
165 HS

Max build-out for both clusters in White Flint 2:

420 ES
180 MS
225 HS

Altogether, Crispell said the numbers are close to the threshold for dedicating an elementary school site, but not a middle school or high school. A resident asked if Crispell used the southwest generation rates, which tend to be higher than the rest of the County. He said those calculations are still in the works.

But he said these numbers should replace any previous forecasts. "These are pretty much hot off the press to me," Crispell said of his predictions last night. He added that he is including the WMAL site in his long range forecast, a separate one from the above data.

Crispell also outlined the process by which MCPS addresses the need for more capacity. First they examine if they can add on to an existing school in the plan area. If not, look at a boundary change to a school adjacent to the plan area. If that can't be done, they determine if they can add on to a building adjacent to the plan area. The last resort is to designate a school site for a new building.

"We are at the point where we need a new elementary school site," Crispell said last night. Walter Johnson High School is currently over 2400 students, he said, and MCPS is considering options including using the former Woodward campus as a high school again.

Crispell said there are "tons of [housing] units being planned in this area of the County," but added that in his opinion, "there's no way" there is enough demand for the number of units currently proposed.

Debbie Szyfer, senior planner in Crispell's division, said that a new elementary school could be fast-tracked in time to open in 2022. She said Walter Johnson HS is "the most critical right now. The middle schools we're taking good care of," with additions.

Unfortunately, the promised results of the WJ roundtable were not actually available last night. The roundtable report is instead expected to be posted online in the next 9 days, Szyfer said. That report will cover the approaches to the problems discussed by members of the roundtable from the WJ cluster, but will not make recommendations.

Actual recommendations will be made by new MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith after July 1, Szyfer said. Among the approaches discussed by the roundtable were reopening old schools, repurposing Woodward, and acquiring office park land. Other ideas that had little support included split sessions and online learning.

The roundtable schedule will be as follows:

June 8 "or later": Roundtable report posted online

October 13: Smith's recommendations will be released to the public

November 3: Board of Education will hold a worksession on the recommendations

Szyfer said the period between October 13 and November 3 will be a critical one for those in the community to make their voices heard. Whether you like the recommendations or hate them, it is very important that you let the BOE know either way, Szyfer advised.

November 10, 14: Public hearings on the recommendations (only 30-40 people can testify)

The BOE will make a final decision after those hearings.

Several members of the roundtable were in attendance at last night's meeting. One of them commended Crispell and Szyfer for doing something that hasn't been done before by MCPS. She said they took "the list of development within our cluster...and tried to do a 30 year analysis of what this would look like for our cluster." "We were pushed," Crispell said. He said that 30-year forecast showed a need for a high school with a capacity of 3500, a middle school of 2750 students, and 5500 seats at the elementary school level. Crispell noted that those numbers include the WMAL site, but not the latest Rock Spring and WF2 projections he released last night.

Crispell received a round of applause. Somewhat taken aback by a positive response from parents, he said, "Thank you. I don't usually get applauded for forecasts."

One resident expressed concern that middle school needs might end up not being addressed in the sector plans. "Those projections support another middle school," she said. "If we don't designate a site in one of these master plans, we'll never get it."

The president of the Luxmanor Civic Association challenged officials to be more transparent and communicate more closely with the community than they have in past White Flint discussions. Those past processes "truly haven't been transparent," she said. "We've had to hire police to patrol our streets because of what's been going on right now." She asked if the community could have more meetings and more open discussions as this process goes forward.

Both sector plans are slated to go the Planning Board this fall, and following board worksessions late in the year, to the County Council for approval in 2017, said Andrea Gilles, the lead planner for the Rock Spring plan.

Use this map legend for
the maps below

Roundtable discussion on Walter Johnson cluster MCPS school capacity on January 20

If you are concerned about how already-crowded Walter Johnson cluster schools will handle the additional students generated by residential projects planned nearby, you'll want to attend a roundtable on the topic. Montgomery County Public Schools is hosting the event, to be held January 20, 2016 at 7:00 PM, in the cafeteria at Walter Johnson High School (6400 Rock Spring Drive).

After a presentation by MCPS staff, they will take questions from the audience.

Development percolating in the Rock Spring and White Flint 2 planning areas has generated the need to examine the topic.

Idea of adding school on Walter Johnson HS site not acceptable to residents at Rock Spring meeting (Photos)

About 50 residents attended a meeting on the Rock Spring master plan update last night at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda. Apprised by planners of the recommendation by a developer-funded Urban Land Institute "Technical Assistance Panel" (hosted by the Montgomery County Planning Department) to build a new school on the same site as Walter Johnson, attendees did not respond favorably.

During a later break-out session, one resident told planners to exclude the ULI recommendation from the master plan update, because it was not viable. "We're as skeptical as you are," one planner assured her.

Many other issues came up during that break-out session, as attendees pointed out problem areas for pedestrians and drivers, weaknesses in current transit access, opportunities for better connectivity, and concerns over projects already in the development pipeline for Rock Spring.

A number of proposals had wide support among Monday night's crowd. First, many asked for a Circulator bus that could connect all of the properties in Rock Spring to either the White Flint or Grosvenor Metro stations. Some said this option would be more practical and less expensive than the proposed North Bethesda Bus Rapid Transit line.

The existing medical campus on Rockledge Drive also retains strong support from residents. On that, they happen to agree with the ULI-TAP; the panel recommended branding the Rock Spring area as a healthy-living hub around those healthcare businesses and doctor's offices. With its location in the I-270 biotech corridor, the recommendation - and residents' sentiment that they want those offices to stay - both make perfect sense. "Everyone in that area goes to the doctor and dentist in those buildings," one resident noted.

There are several spots where better and safer pedestrian connections are needed, attendees said. Among the primary ones are the bridge over the I-270 Spur, and pedestrian crossings of Fernwood Road between the medical campus and Marriott, Democracy Boulevard and Old Georgetown Road.

One option planners discussed was eliminating free right turns through the "pork chop" corners at intersections. A pedestrian bridge over Democracy is not feasible, planners said, due to the length that ADA specifications require today for such facilities.

While parks and green space are in demand, some residents strongly criticized the existing pond between Rockledge and Rock Spring Drives as "wasted space" and "ugly". It would be much improved by either adding seating areas and cafes around it, residents said, or by replacing the pond with a ball field. One resident mentioned that many of the companies in the Rock Spring offices field softball teams, and that a convenient ballfield could help companies retain workers.

Residents of the neighborhood behind the Wildwood Shopping Center are not happy about changes in landowner Alvin Aubinoe Incorporated's plan to add an apartment building and townhomes near the Balducci's market on Old Georgetown Road.

Originally, a resident told planners, the proposed building was to be 5 stories, stepping down to 3 on the side facing the single-family homes behind the shopping center. Now it's going to be 72' tall, "way too high" next to homes, she said. A secondary proposal to add 4 townhomes facing Berkshire Drive met with similar displeasure from residents, who said it would eliminate the current green buffer their neighborhood has from the noise and congestion of Old Georgetown Road.

"It's very important for us to maintain this barrier behind the Wildwood Shopping Center," one said.

One avid cyclist who said he would like to be able to bike safely throughout Rock Spring said separated bike lanes were crucial to that end. Along with a bike loop, one of the groups advocated for a running loop. And more bicycle parking is needed, according to residents.

Other items on the wish list? A community center, picnic tables, breaking up large blocks into more walkable sections, a new high school site, soccer fields, and perhaps some rehabilitation of the creek that runs through Rock Spring.

One resident said he would "rather see the whole [office park area] dark than overcrowd the Rock Spring schools."

A point everyone agreed on - there's already too much traffic congestion on Old Georgetown Road, and hundreds of new housing units at Rock Spring - and thousands in the Pike District and Pooks Hill -  definitely won't cure that.

At the end of the meeting, the Lead Planner for the Rock Spring master plan process, Don Zeigler, announced he would be replaced by Senior Planner Andrea Gilles going forward. Gilles is already assigned to the nearby White Flint 2 Sector Plan project.

The next Rock Spring session will be on January 28, 2016, as outreach and plan development continue through June of next year.

Residents report to the
larger crowd on their
group discussions after
a break-out session

Westfield Montgomery Mall has best year ever following renovations

Westfield has invested $100 million in upgrading and expanding its Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda over the last few years. And the investment has paid off handsomely, according to Jim Agliata, Vice President of Development at Westfield. Agliata told attendees at last night's Rock Spring Sector Plan meeting that the mall raked in $500 million in sales this year, and has had the highest customer traffic in the history of the mall's existence.

After adding a new Dining Terrace, more upscale retailers and restaurants, and a 16-screen luxury ArcLight Cinemas, the mall is making about $700 per square foot in sales, Agliata reported.

Westfield's Jim Agliata

He also confirmed what I've been reporting over the last couple of years, which is that the mall is putting a greater emphasis on extending tenants to the exterior and outdoor areas, whether it be exterior branding or patio dining.

Westfield isn't finished yet. Agliata said the center has 400,000 SF of approved addition space on the north side of the property. That was a major reason the mall moved the future Transit Center, now under construction, over to the I-270 Spur/Westlake Terrace corner of the property, he said.

Agliata said to expect that future structure to be oriented more to the outdoors than the existing indoor mall. He also said the mall is currently working to make the kiosks that populate its corridors more attractive. Current examples of that are the new Cleo's Oil Bar and Peet's Coffee and Tea.

The connectivity goals planners spoke about earlier in the evening for Rock Spring "needs to happen," Agliata said. Office parks near the mall are "a big driver for us."

Asked if he expected the mall to become transit-oriented, Agliata said Westfield would strongly support rail transit along I-270, and suggested the new site of the Transit Center would facilitate the mall as a logical station along such a route. But he said that would be a very expensive transportation project. Most mallgoers will continue to arrive by car, he said.

What is Westfield more optimistic about?

Agliata said his company has a 75-person division in San Francisco called Westfield Labs, which is not only working to improve the tech and WiFi experience at its malls, but is also preparing for autonomous vehicles.

He predicted the "mall of the future" would have a garage reserved for driverless cars, which would drop off patrons at the Valet Parking area, and then park themselves in that garage. "That'll happen someday. Ten years, maybe fifteen years," Agliata forecast.

One resident in the audience said, "malls are dying." "'A' malls are not dying," Agliata replied. "'B' malls and lesser malls are dying."

Rock Spring Centre developer wants to "begin construction as soon as possible" (Photos)

One of Bethesda's longest-stalled developments may start moving forward soon. Steve Robins of Lerch, Early & Brewer, representing developer DRI, says the company wants to "begin construction as soon as possible" on the 1,050,000 SF mixed-use center. He outlined the firm's plans at a public meeting on the Rock Spring master plan held at Walter Johnson High School last night.

Located on a now partially-wooded site bordered by Rock Spring Drive to the south, Rockledge Drive to the west, the I-270 spur to the north, and Old Georgetown Road to the east, the project is almost identical to the one that former development partner Peterson Cos. backed out of in the fall of 2012.

There will be 549,900 SF of office space, 210,000 SF of retail, 90,000 SF of below-ground entertainment space (minus the Silverspot Theatres, which were no longer viable after ArcLight Cinemas and iPic Theatres opened nearby), a 200-room hotel, and 161 apartments. This means that the project remains truly mixed-use, in comparison to the not-so-smart-growth trend of deleting office space in Montgomery County.

One resident in the crowd asked if Walter Johnson students would skip class to patronize the entertainment options at Rock Spring Centre. "We hope they will," Chuck Irish of the engineering firm VIKA joked to laughter. Robins used the light moment to segue into a serious discussion of the pedestrian safety aspects of the plan, particularly how they relate to WJ. The median on Rock Spring Drive will be extended the length of the street to Rockledge, and a pedestrian barrier will prevent any crossing other than at controlled intersections.

Michael Perucci of DRI (far left) and
attorney Steve Robins (right) present
Rock Spring Centre plans

Robins also said that an easement for a future Bus Rapid Transit line is already built-in to their plan.

The time frame for that plan has been the question on the minds of many of my readers.

Michael Perucci, Development Manager at DRI, said, "We're in talks with an investor" who will take the place of the now-departed partner Peterson. Perucci said he expects that unnamed investor will be on-board in about a month. The company will then go to the building design phase, he said.

Robins noted that the delay can't go on forever, because DRI has existing approvals that will expire if the development isn't built within their time frame.

"Where are those kids going to school," one resident asked of the 161 apartments. "We're already at 120%" of capacity, she said. Perucci told several concerned residents after the meeting that he has attended all of the Rock Spring meetings, and fully understands their concerns about school overcrowding, having attended Montgomery County schools in portable classrooms himself. He said that even though developers have to pay fees for school construction, they have no control over where the County ultimately spends those dollars.

I asked Perucci about the future of the 90,000 SF entertainment space, now that the theater won't happen. He said it is too early to predict what type of tenants might end up down there, or if the company will even build out the full 90,000 SF. He did say DRI expects "a mix of national retailers and mom-and-pops. A mixture of restaurants, apparel, [and] maybe a grocer."

The renderings of this project, created by the Boston firm Arrowstreet, look fantastic. Let's hope the final designs resemble this, or are even better.

It would be great if they got a tenant like Dave and Buster's or a bowling alley for the underground entertainment space. Neither type of business requires windows. (Although it couldn't likely be D&B, as they've already signed on at Ellsworth Place in Silver Spring.) Pinstripes is going to open up the road at Pike & Rose. I believe Jillian's is down to a couple of California locations at this point. Lucky Strike?

Add your suggestions for entertainment tenants in the comments below.

Later in the meeting, McLean Quinn, Vice President of Land Acquisition and Development at EYA, announced that 19 of the 168 luxury townhomes at the firm's Montgomery Row development have been sold. He said you can expect to see the first homes rising out of the ground at the site at Fernwood Road and Rock Spring Drive in the next 2-3 weeks.

The site had previously been slated for a 439,063 SF office building under an out-of-state owner, before being purchased by EYA.

Renderings courtesy DRI/Arrowstreet
All rights reserved

Photo by Robert Dyer