GEICO moves into The Wilson in Bethesda (Photos)

Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single new major corporate headquarters in over 25 years, but there's a new corporate logo on the downtown Bethesda skyline. As usual, it is a rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic situation, with GEICO moving "up the Pike" from Friendship Heights to The Wilson, the Class A office tower at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue. It's great news for the property's landlord, but not so much for County revenue, as the insurance firm has downsized considerably from a campus of its own to a mere office.

Adding to the revenue hit is the moribund Montgomery County economy, amid which there is zippo demand for office space. No major corporations want to move here, so rather than welcome a giant new corporate tenant to the GEICO campus site at 5260 Western Avenue, the property will be redeveloped as all-residential. Developer EYA has proposed constructing 520 units in the form of apartments, condominiums, and townhomes. The Bethesda-based firm has extensive experience in constructing exactly this type of development on large sites throughout the Washington, D.C. region. 

Again, good news for wealthy people who want to live at the Friendship Heights Metro station. Not so good news for County revenue coffers, as we've seen that new housing generates more costs in services and infrastructure than it does in tax revenue. Ergo our structural County budget deficit, which was created and has persisted amid massive residential housing development countywide this century.

Montgomery County elected officials have known for years that GEICO would be vacating this prime property. Yet, even with a massive head start and time to develop a strategy, they were incapable of luring a domestic or international firm to the site. We have a County Council that cannot hit major league pitching when it comes to economic development, trying to compete with very smart leaders across the Potomac. Even now that Virginia has elected a Marxist governor, our own Marxist County Council is too wedded to their Communist ideals to take advantage of the four year break. Instead, MoCo continues to spin its wheels, while solidifying its collapse into a mere bedroom community for the booming job centers elsewhere in our region. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Pinnacle bank branch leases ground floor space at The Wilson in Bethesda

Pinnacle, a financial services and banking firm, has leased a ground floor retail space at 7270 Wisconsin Avenue in The Wilson office tower.  As you can see, furniture, wall art, and even some potted plants have already been loaded into the branch office. Pinnacle has two other locations in the region, in Tysons and Columbia. Given the business focus of the office tenants upstairs, it probably makes sense to have a bank in the ground floor of the tower.

Entrance work at The Wilson in Bethesda

The front entrance of The Wilson at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda was closed yesterday due to repairs. According to signage posted at the entrance, repairs are being performed on one of the entry doors. Tenants and visitors were directed to use alternate entry doors. The office tower, part of the massive mixed-use development on the former site of the Apex Building, was completed in 2021.

Wooden pedestrian walkway installed on Elm Street alongside The Wilson, The Elm in Bethesda (Photos)

Elm Street remains closed at the west side of Wisconsin Avenue, as it has been since January 2017. As the new construction contractor for the Purple Line light rail project gears up to resume work on Elm, a new pedestrian elevated walkway has been constructed from Wisconsin down Elm alongside The Wilson and The Elm. 

Crews will be working on the Purple Line Bethesda station underneath those two buildings, and on the access points for Purple Line and southern entrance to the Bethesda Metro Red Line station on Elm Street. In other Purple Line news, crews are scheduled to resume erection of sound barriers along the railway's route in the vicinity of East-West Highway, working from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM seven days a week as necessary.

Fox 5 updates news ticker outside Bethesda studios (Photos)

Fox 5 has updated the digital news ticker on the plaza below its studios at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. It now has improved graphics, and displays the current time and temperature. At least one Bethesda-Chevy Chase resident is not a fan, though. A computer print-out sign has been stuck to a barrel near the TV station reading, "Fox News is Russian Propaganda."

Fox 5 news ticker outside Bethesda studios begins streaming headlines (Photos)

The news ticker on the plaza below the Fox 5 studios at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda came online several months ago, but yesterday it began to actually display scrolling news headlines. Stories included the possibility that Montgomery County officials won't end the indoor mask mandate even if previously announced goals are met, and sports headlines such as the one shown here about the Washington Football Team. 

Bethesda welcome message on Fox 5 news ticker (Video+Photos)

After showing a test pattern initially, the news ticker on the plaza below the new Fox 5 studios in Bethesda is now activated for text display. A welcome message was scrolling across the screen Friday, referring to Fox 5 and sister station Fox 5 Plus. Of course, the legendary Dick Dyszel would know the latter as WDCA Channel 20. See the ticker in person at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, outside The Wilson.

Fox 5 news ticker installation complete in Bethesda (Photos)

The electronic news ticker on the plaza below the Fox 5 television studios at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda was activated for the first time yesterday. It is currently showing a test pattern of various colors. Soon, it will display news headlines.

Exhaust shaft staircase for Bethesda Metro station labeled at The Wilson

There's a door here at The Wilson by Tatte Bakery that is now identified as the access to and from the under-platform exhaust shaft at the Bethesda Metro station. This area is near the south end of the platform, and there will eventually be a new entrance at this corner to the station. What is in this shaft? Controls for exhaust fans, dampers that can be adjusted to change the air flow direction, and a "fan gallery." In some cases, the exhaust shaft is also a designated emergency exit from the station to the surface.

Crane hoists equipment at The Wilson in Bethesda (Photos)

Drivers heading south on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda last night had to detour around a crane in the southbound lanes at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue. According to the traffic control contractor hired for the job, the crane was hoisting steel and equipment at The Wilson office tower. 

A detour was set up along Hampden Lane, Arlington Road and Bethesda Avenue to get drivers back onto Wisconsin. Work was completed before rush hour this morning to minimize traffic disruption.

Fox 5 news ticker installed in Bethesda (Photos)

We're not getting a Times Square giant video screen yet in downtown Bethesda, but Fox 5 has just installed a news ticker at the top of the structure on the plaza below its new studios at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue. About a month ago, a blank strip was left around the top of the facades of it, and wiring and electronic connections were visible. Now the digital display has been installed. Eventually, passengers descending to - or emerging from - the Purple Line or Red Line (using the future south entrance at this location) will be receiving breaking news headlines on this wraparound ticker.

Grey strip at top, as seen on July 6

July 6

Ticker installed