Demolition update: Thyme Square/Blu Lounge on Bethesda Avenue (Photos)

The Blu Lounge, Thyme Square - whatever you know it as, it's gone. Contractor Coakley-Williams has demolished the building, to make way for a more modern and larger retail building that is being developed by The JBG Companies. There's still some work to finish up, and debris removal to be completed.

Here's another panoramic
view of the destruction:

Demolition of Thyme Square/Blu Lounge underway in Bethesda (Photos)

Contractor Coakley Williams has begun demolishing the "old Bethesda" throwback building at 4735 Bethesda Avenue, formerly home to such tenants as Thyme Square and Blu Lounge. Developer JBG Companies is replacing the structure with a new, larger and more modern retail building.

This is part of a block-length makeover of Bethesda Avenue between Woodmont Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue by the development firm, which will include a surface route for the Capital Crescent Trail once construction begins on the Purple Line, a new office building to replace the existing one at 4733 Bethesda Avenue, and a revamped 7200 Wisconsin Avenue with new restaurants and retail.

Several readers have said that the slight detour of the CCT required for this demolition has some sightline safety issues, and has resulted in at least one jogger-cyclist collision, which fortunately did not result in serious injury. Good warning to take extra care here, and be aware of your surroundings, whether you are a pedestrian or cyclist passing through this area.

Here is a panoramic
view of the demolition
(click to enlarge):

Bethesda construction update: New retail building on Bethesda Ave. (Photos)

The JBG Companies' new retail building project has slightly diverted part of the Capital Crescent Trail around the construction site between Bethesda Avenue and the CCT tunnel under Wisconsin Avenue. Coakley Williams is the contractor.

Formerly Thyme Square and the Blu Lounge, the structure is going to be replaced with a slightly larger retail building. This is part of a larger JBG project that will remake and revitalize much of the north side of Bethesda Avenue between Woodmont Avenue and Wisconsin.

JBG gets started on new Bethesda Ave. retail building (Photos)

A new retail building that will replace the former Thyme Square structure at 4735 Bethesda Avenue is finally moving forward. The JBG Companies has filed a sheeting and shoring permit request with Montgomery County, which describes a 10,000 SF commercial building. Apparently, there will be some excavation involved - although the Thyme Square building will presumably be demolished first.

The building in question is the
small structure at left, with
the "Market" signage; the
center building is what will
replace the existing office building
next door

You may recall seeing early renderings of this long, narrow structure in my report from the public meeting JBG held prior to submitting its plans to the county. This is one part of a complex redevelopment of JBG properties that line the north side of Bethesda Avenue between Woodmont and Wisconsin Avenues. 7200 Wisconsin Avenue (Artery Plaza) is getting a Fish Taco restaurant, facade and lobby renovations, and is angling for a second restaurant tenant. And an office building between these properties at 4733 Bethesda Avenue will be demolished and replaced with a new, mixed-use office building.

The retail building appears as
a ghostly structure in this
rendering, again with
the "Market" sign
(future tenant unknown)

The end result - along with the new PassionFish restaurant in The Darcy across the street - will be a revitalization of this somewhat dead block of Bethesda Avenue (particularly at night). There will essentially be a strip of JBG retail and restaurant space from the plaza on Woodmont all the way up to Wisconsin, then wrapping around the front of Artery Plaza on Wisconsin.

JBG UNVEILS OFFICE BUILDING PROPOSAL FOR 4733 BETHESDA AVENUE (PHOTOS)

The JBG Companies unveiled the latest iteration of a redevelopment project that's been in the works for over 7 years last night in Bethesda. A new office building is the centerpiece of a proposal for the redevelopment of an existing office building at 4733 Bethesda Avenue, and the former Thyme Square restaurant next door.

View from across Woodmont Avenue

Going with office space is fairly risky move in Montgomery County right now, with two gleaming Class A office buildings at 7550 Wisconsin and 4500 East-West Highway unable to attract the high-profile corporate tenants they had originally planned for, and both struggling to find smaller businesses to replace those larger ambitions.

Yet JBG has developed some impressive office buildings in places like Friendship Heights, and their representative last night said the firm believes downtown Bethesda is a desirable place to work. I can't argue with that statement.

Bethesda Avenue view

The new office building has some resemblance to the hotel proposal it replaces, except the alternating window sections on the side have all been slid to the far left. What was formerly Thyme Square appears to become a small building labeled "Market" in the renderings shown last night. This project will potentially be involved in the creation of an at-grade Capital Crescent Trail along Bethesda Avenue, should the Purple Line be built in the future. JBG has expressed willingness to assist in developing that cycle track, which many CCT advocates have argued will put riders and pedestrians at risk crossing Wisconsin Avenue.

Developing the office project will require demolition of the existing 4733 office structure, perhaps the tallest building ever to be demolished in downtown Bethesda, by my recollection. JBG's representative said the method of demolition has yet to be determined, but that the work will be done "very carefully." The smaller building next door will be renovated, not demolished.

JBG says that even after potential approval by the Montgomery County Planning Board, it does not expect construction to begin on this project for another 2 or 3 years. The future of the plaza between this project and the Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema remains a hot topic of discussion for developers, planners, and residents.

Images courtesy The JBG Companies
All rights reserved