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The Chase Manor apartments property has been sold to Toll Brothers, original property owner Chevy Chase Land Company announced this morning. Toll Brothers plans to construct a 63-townhome community on the four acres of land, which will be called Chevy Chase Crossing. The site is in close proximity to the new Chevy Chase Lake development, the Capital Beltway, and the future Purple Line light rail station. Toll Brothers recently completed a similar project on the former WMAL transmission tower property in Bethesda, a much larger development called Amalyn.
“It’s somewhat bittersweet to sell the site of a former 72-year-old community that holds so much history for the many locals of Chevy Chase, but with an aging infrastructure and increasing demand to live in this area, it was time to allow for its redevelopment,” Chevy Chase Land Company CEO, John Ziegenhein said in a statement this morning. “We are pleased to have the history and quality of Toll Brothers to usher in the next generation of neighbors to a new development as we at The Chevy Chase Land Company continue expanding and improving our many nearby projects, including office, The Collection, and Chevy Chase Lake -- with plans for another dynamic project right across from that mixed-use neighborhood on Connecticut Avenue.”
Newly-acquired 8008 Wisconsin property is outlined in red; total land area now controlled by Aksoylu Properties is designated in blue
Toll Brothers has made no public announcement as of this morning, but the homebuilding giant has sold its 8008 Wisconsin Avenue property to Aksoylu Properties, the real estate firm that owns the adjacent 8000 Wisconsin lot in downtown Bethesda. Aksoylu has been gearing up to break ground on its long-delayed Artena Bethesda project on that assembled site. Now it also has control of the property next door, which is about half the size of the 8000 Wisconsin lot. Alas, it would be very expensive at this late stage to throw out its approved Artena preliminary, sketch and site plans to reimagine the Artena as a much larger development.
Of course, that cost might be offset by both the additional residential and retail units that would come with a larger project, along with the massive savings of being able to excavate and construct on both lots using the same contractors at the same time. Aksoylu also has the option of going forward with the Artena, and using the newly-acquired 8008 land as a staging area for construction. The sale closed October 31, 2023, according to state real estate records. Aksoylu paid Toll Brothers $9,125,000 for the property.
One of the longest-delayed redevelopment projects in downtown Bethesda is back on, potentially under new ownership. Toll Brothers is asking Montgomery County for an extension to the preliminary plan approval it received from the Planning Board several years ago for 8008 Wisconsin Avenue. The proposed two-year extension would allow groundbreaking to begin as late as October 16, 2025. That would be more than a full decade after local real estate giant Douglas Development first attempted to redevelop the property, which includes the former Ranger Surplus store and Bethesda Valet on Wisconsin Avenue, and Dunmor's (a.k.a. The Beer House) at 8013 Woodmont Avenue.
Required public notification sign erected Monday at the site
Douglas Development was making a big push into downtown Bethesda around the middle of the last decade, acquiring several new properties. 8008 Wisconsin was one, and the potential crown jewel was a development that would have been on the former Exxon, Pines of Rome and Tommy Joe's properties along Wisconsin, Hampden Lane and Montgomery Lane. But after Montgomery County officials interfered, demanding Douglas give them a chunk of the property for a bus rapid transit right-of-way, the 8008 project stalled out amid protracted negotiations.
The extended delay apparently ended up deep-sixing the project, which included a restaurant on the Woodmont side. Douglas ultimately sold the property to Toll Brothers in 2016, and switched its focus to updating the Shops of Wisconsin (where it brought a Target store as a hedge against the possible future departure of Trader Joe's, an unavoidable rumor once a second Trader Joe's was revealed as the anchor tenant up the road at 7900 Wisconsin), acquiring smaller properties around town, and on the Exxon/Pines of Rome project. That last project, too, ended up falling through the cracks, joining 8008 Wisconsin in "development hell."
Despite two very impressive and successful Bethesda developments, Hampden Row and Amalyn, Toll Brothers was unable to bring 8008 Wisconsin to fruition. The existing structures on the site have become eyesores and targets for vandals and squatters in the ensuing years. Now, Toll Brothers says an unidentified developer is prepared to purchase the site from them, and immediately proceed to redevelop it under the approved plan. For that reason, it is seeking the extension, to facilitate that transaction.
The extension request will be reviewed by the Planning Board. It is not yet on any published Planning Board agenda. Toll Brothers' request comes as the also-delayed Artena Bethesda project is getting ready to break ground directly next door at 8000 Wisconsin.
Toll Brothers has opened model homes to the public at its new Amalyn development, now under construction on the former site of the WMAL transmission towers in North Bethesda. All homes in the development are priced over $1 million. The 75 acre community will include a 4,000-square-foot clubhouse, indoor and outdoor fitness facilities, club rooms for social events, a swimming pool with private cabanas, and more. Tours of the model homes are available at the Amalyn sales center, located at 6940 Greyswood Road.
"Our new Amalyn community is a rare find; it’s luxury living at its finest with expertly crafted homes and a resort-style living experience that home buyers have come to expect from Toll Brothers," Toll Brothers D.C. Metro Regional President Eric Anderson said in a statement. "Our Fairlane and Florin model homes showcase the refined modern finishes that truly distinguish this boutique community of luxury homes in Bethesda."
The landmark WMAL radio towers at 7115 Greentree Road aren't likely to be there too much longer. Workers have been active at the site over the last week, erecting demolition fencing, and going over the site with ride-on lawn mowers. The popular unofficial dog park and outdoor activity center for the neighborhood will be much-missed by residents, but is set to be replaced with a new Toll Brothers housing development. Few residents in the golden age of radio would have imagined that such a powerful and highly-rated station would no longer need its Bethesda transmitters.
Toll Brothers has officially requested demolition permits from the County, and their applications were officially accepted on February 21. County records indicate that the permits have not yet been issued by the Department of Permitting Services.
Developer Toll Brothers hasn't lived up to its promises, and the Montgomery County Council and Planning Board aren't holding them accountable, neighbors of the WMAL tower site in Bethesda say. The preliminary plan to redevelop that property at 7115 Greentree Road with 310 homes will go before the Planning Board this Thursday, June 15, and planners are recommending its approval.
The already-jammed roads and schools that serve the area have been concerns from the beginning, but much like the Westbard sector plan, there are virtually no amenities or infrastructure projects provided for in this plan. WMAL's property has served as a de facto park for residents for decades. Yet, much of the green space provided in the new development will simply be required stormwater management facilities, or other environmental/conservation features not necessarily usable by residents.
"Am I upset?
YES!"
Residents are also concerned about the "island" nature of the tower site, and its minimal roadway connections to major routes - and how those factors will impact their neighborhood streets. They've reached out to the County Council, but were told to buzz off by Councilmember George Leventhal, who is currently seeking to be their next County Executive. "The County Council has no role in the approval of Toll Brothers' application," Leventhal replied to one email from residents, arguing that he has "no mechanism" to take action on the proposal. In reality, Leventhal and the Council have the ultimate mechanisms - they appoint the Planning Board, and provide a vast quantity of taxpayer funds they could threaten to cut off at any time.
"Am I upset? Yes," resident Eleni Martin wrote to planner Patrick Butler, in regard to the Planning Board having rezoned the WMAL site with minimal resident input in that decision. "It infuriates me that there wasn't any targeted outreach effort to raise awareness about what was being done...But seeking real honest input ahead of actions doesn't seem to be how Montgomery County works."
"People will die"
"It is a strong desire of the communities to improve the ratio of parkland to the proposed and very dense preliminary plan," George Wolfand, President of the West Fernwood Citizens Association wrote to the Planning Board in March.
Resident Karin Krchnak suggested Planning Director Gwen Wright and the County Council live with her for a day, "to see what we have to handle on Fernwood Road," which many Bethesda residents know is a disaster during rush hour as it is. Krchnak called the traffic study done for the project "a complete joke."
"A complete joke"
But in addition to the impact on the main thoroughfares, there is equal concern about what the poor traffic circulation to the site will do to neighborhood streets. Dan Spiro, who has lived in Stratton Woods since 1962, warned the Planning Board in a letter last week that "people will die if Renita [Lane] is opened to through traffic, as the plan suggests," because of the narrow road, street parking, and blind curves.
The first residents in Toll Brothers City Living's new Hampden Row ultra-luxury condos will move in after the first settlements this Thursday, Sales Manager Jaclyn Smith said. Common areas and amenities inside the building should be complete by then, but the building's rooftop deck with grills and firepits is on-target for a Spring opening.
Inside the mid-rise building at the corner of Hampden Lane and Arlington Road, marble floors are even found inside the elevators. Hallways outside the 55 units resemble those of a high-end hotel, with modern art deco accents in the lighting fixtures and room number font.
In addition to the Grand Opening scheduled for this weekend, there have been a couple of other red letter days on the calendar at Hampden Row recently. The building just received a PERS project approval from Fannie Mae, which can make it easier for buyers to obtain financing from banks large or small. Not every condo building has this approval, Smith said, which requires an extensive review of a project's documents and budget from a risk management perspective.
And ten days ago, Toll Brothers was named the #1 Home Builder on Fortune's list of the World's Most-Admired Companies for 2017.
Smith said the company is especially proud of the concierge service the building will offer. The building management firm, Legum & Norman, has contracted with Capitol Concierge, a woman-owned company that is the largest provider of concierge services for office buidings, upscale apartments and condos, shopping malls and individual homeowners in America.
Residents will be able to use the 24-hour concierge in the lobby to retrieve groceries and dry cleaning, arrange flowers or wine tastings, and even plan parties. Just give the concierge your party budget, and they will handle everything from catering to valet parking out front. "They can pretty much do it all," Smith said. Capitol outsources each service to third-party vendors, and extends partnership discounts from many vendors to homeowners.
Smith said sales have been fairly even between the 1 and 2-bedroom unit types so far. Move-ins will be on the lower floors first, but the coveted top floor was the first to sell out. Here's an exclusive first look at the views you'll be able to get from the Hampden Row rooftop deck:
Enjoy sunsets over Bethesda
A view of Bethesda Row
Hampden Lane below
A look up Hampden Lane toward Wisconsin Avenue
The Newlands Building (center)
Wave over to Hampden Row's closest competitor, The Lauren
The Bethesda Row Giant is extremely convenient, or have the concierge arrange to have your groceries brought to you using the 24-hour concierge sevice
Caroline Freeman Park and the Bethesda Library are directly across Arlington Road; both are due for renovations soon
More facade treatments are in place at Toll Brothers City Living's Hampden Row luxury condo project at Arlington Road and Hampden Lane in Bethesda. The ultra-luxury 55-unit building will feature a 24-hour attended lobby, resident lounge, a rooftop terrace and fitness center, garage parking and bike storage facilities. Units will boast Gaggenau, Thermador, and Bosch appliances, and Grohe and Kohler fixtures.
