BETHESDA'S FIRST NEW CLASS A OFFICE BUILDING IN 11 YEARS DAZZLES AFTER DARK - EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

FUNCTION FOLLOWS

FORM WITH AMENITIES,

GREEN FEATURES IN

AKRIDGE'S SLEEK NEW

DOWNTOWN ADDRESS

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Bethesda heard quite a bit about the 7550 Wisconsin redevelopment project when it was announced.  Developer Akridge even won several awards before the work was done.  In essence, architectural firm Shalom Baranes was tasked with turning a pumpkin into Cinderella's carriage.

And I'm rather surprised to report to you that, by golly, they just may have done it.

 Granted, the building's basic shape is simply a boring box.  But check out all that glass.  After dark, this building is a 10-story stunner.    While regular readers know my preference for taller skyscrapers, shortness aside, this is the kind of design we need more of in downtown Bethesda.

The slight contrast of the ground floor with the upper levels is appropriate, given that after business hours, that retail and restaurant space will still be active.

7550's amenities include a fitness center, commuter bike storage, secure underground garage, and one other special feature - the rooftop.

I want to be on the guest list for parties on this rooftop!  Alas, the roof will not be open to the public, but only to tenants of the building.

Not only does the roof have stunning views and a nice design you can't see from street level, but it is part of the LEED Gold environmental design.  Besides being an event space, it is a landscaped green roof.

The fact that this is the first Class A office building to be delivered downtown in over a decade, speaks again to Montgomery County's crippling lack of vision and leadership.  And, of course, that poor stewardship has directed development out to White Flint, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Science City, etc., rather than in more appropriate places like downtown Bethesda and Silver Spring.

There's something odd about claiming we are going to add 100,000 people to the county, and at the same time, having 19 stories be the maximum building height in downtown Bethesda.  We should be building skyscrapers here, rather than trying to urbanize suburban neighborhoods by bulldozing homes and shopping centers.

In short, (pun intended) we need more projects of the quality of 7550 Wisconsin.  Just taller, and more Dubai than MoCo in design.

DEVELOPER REVEALS BUILDING TO REPLACE BETHESDA MCDONALD'S AT 4500 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY

Carr Properties has unveiled its plan for 4500 East-West Highway in downtown Bethesda.  Currently, the property is home to a McDonald's restaurant and a Prudential insurance building.

The 220,400 square foot office building - for which Carr has just obtained financing - will be 9 stories tall, with an additional 4 underground levels and parking garage.  Carr expects the finished project to be LEED-certified Platinum.  Other features of the commercial property include first floor retail space, a full-height glass curtain facade, and a 1900 square foot conference center, with video conferencing.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by June 2014.

It's hard to take in the full exterior design from just this one rendition.  Right now, I'll give Carr credit for using an all-glass exterior, and wait for more exterior illustrations before giving a final verdict on the design.  The only criticism I have at the moment is that the height could be much taller, if you consider how close the site is to Metro.  Also, from this angle, it is a bit on the boxy side.  Sad to lose this classic McDonald's restaurant, as well.  Maybe McDonald's can reopen in the first floor of the new building.