South Street Steaks repairs nearing completion

Once getting a permit from Montgomery County, the contractor repairing the South Street Steaks building on Cordell Avenue has made short work of things. The restaurant has been closed for months after a car struck the building in 2018.

Work appears to be complete on the load-bearing exterior wall that was hit by the vehicle. Workers could be seen on the roof during the day on Wednesday, and external support beams were removed from the building. The project is scheduled for completion this month.

Experimac opens in Bethesda (Photos)

Experimac, a new shop that specializes in service and sales of pre-owned Apple computers, tablets and phones, has opened in the ground floor of the Bainbridge Bethesda luxury apartment tower. They also carry Apple and Mac accessories, and can upgrade your existing Apple computer, as well. Experimac is located at 4915 Fairmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

Pepco repairs continue on Del Ray Ave. in Bethesda (Photos)

The westbound lane of Del Ray Avenue was closed last night, as Pepco continues a massive repair job on its feeder lines below the street. WSSC workers repairing their own infrastructure reportedly damaged the lines last week. One troubling development last night was the return of water in the street. It was after an apparent water main break, that produced similar standing water last week, that WSSC workers were spotted at the location.

Cordell Ave. closes again for more Pepco repairs in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

Despite heavy rain, a Pepco crew returned to work on its damaged underground feeder lines yesterday on Cordell Avenue at Old Georgetown Road. Access to that end of Cordell was entirely blocked off again during the evening rush and beyond, as Pepco continues to repair damage allegedly caused by WSSC workers repairing their own underground system.

Window that burglars drove through at The Jewelry Exchange in Bethesda is repaired (Photos)

A bold set of jewel burglars crashed their stolen Mercedes Benz E350 through the front glass at The Jewelry Exchange at 7747 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda in late September. Taking whatever they could grab, they fled the scene in another getaway car.

Now the glass has been replaced after part of the front had to be boarded up. The store also has their Christmas decorations up.

BETHESDA SIDEWALK CLOSURE UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Renovations continue on two sidewalks in downtown Bethesda - Norfolk Avenue near St. Elmo Avenue, and on Elm Street at Bethesda Row.

Yesterday, workers began to install brick pavers in the new sidewalk along Norfolk. The Elm Street project has a new layer of concrete down.

Here's a photo gallery of the latest progress; click on the individual photos for more detail:

NORFOLK AVENUE

ELM STREET

WMATA BEGINS REPAIR OF LEAKING CEILING OVER BETHESDA METRO STATION ESCALATOR (PHOTOS)

The leaks over a Bethesda Metro station escalator are hardly news to regular commuters there. But they gained greater public attention during the recent Polar Vortex, when massive icicles formed that threatened to fatally injure Metro riders before the escalator was taken out of service.

Now, scaffolding has been installed for several weeks of after-hours repair. Access to the station will be unaffected. WMATA says the source of the water is the property located above the station, and that property owner is making the repairs, not Metro.

BROTHERS SEW AND VAC MOVES INTO NEW BETHESDA LOCATION (PHOTOS)

Brothers Sew & Vac has moved into its new location in the ground floor of the Landow Building, along St. Elmo Avenue. And, yes, they brought "Grandma" along.

If you live in the Woodmont Triangle, and your vacuum cleaner just fizzled out for the last, you may be in luck - "sales and service" in walking distance. Assuming you're going to lug that thing along the sidewalks.

YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THE ELEVATOR AT MONTGOMERY MALL LIKE THIS! (PHOTOS)

A central elevator at Westfield Montgomery Mall is undergoing a complete overhaul. As you can tell from the photos below, this is not simply an emergency repair. Nearly every major component is apparently being replaced.

The mall is directing patrons to use the elevator by Sears during the closure.

This is yet another example of Westfield investing in the mall's future. From elevators to the movie theater to the food court to the Transit Center, a tremendous financial investment is being put into improving and expanding the mall. It's an example other mall operators across the country should adopt. Malls are still viable, and will continue to thrive in the future, when management shows pride in the facility like this, and puts the customer experience first.

By the way, parking lots at Westfield Montgomery Mall were full of cars yesterday. So much for the "malls are outdated" fad.

CAPITAL CRESCENT TRAIL REPAIR WORK ADVISORY FOR BETHESDA AND WASHINGTON DC

The National Park Service has announced a major renovation of the B&O Railroad trestle that, today, carries the Capital Crescent Trail over Canal Road in Washington, DC.

Contractors will construct a temporary bridge for trail users, and will try to limit Canal Road closures to the 9 PM to 5 AM time period.

However, a 1-2 day period of 8-hour trail closures will be necessary for the demolition of the trestle's concrete deck, and again for the deck's reconstruction.

Work on the trestle should be completed by June.

A separate project to refurbish the trail's shoulders, and stormwater management system, will begin Monday, March 25 near Bethesda Row. Montgomery County Parks Department employees will work their way west, towards Washington, DC.

This work will also be completed by June, and cyclists are asked to please slow down when passing work crews on or alongside the trail.

BETHESDA SIDEWALK REPAIR UPDATE (PHOTOS)

After belatedly restarting work on downtown Bethesda sidewalks, the MDSHA is finally making some progress.

Unfinished sidewalk construction has bedeviled pedestrians up and down Wisconsin Avenue since the summer.  Trip-and-fall surfaces abounded, and dangerous jaywalking was encouraged in spots.

Now, as these photos demonstrate, bricks have been laid at the corner of Fairmont and Wisconsin.  Other spots remain in shabby condition. Let's hope all of this is finished by the Inauguration, to spare us further embarrassment when tourists pour into our fair city.

BETHESDA CHIPOTLE CLOSED UNTIL THURSDAY NOW (PHOTOS)

¡No puede ser! The Bethesda Chipotle, which was to reopen today at 11 AM, has postponed the reopening until this Thursday, December 13, at 11 AM.

The restaurant has been closed for a week for extensive kitchen renovations.  Those renovations are behind schedule, although no specific cause for the delay was specified.

Muy mal noticías for Chipotle fans in Bethesda.

CORDELL AVENUE GARAGE ELEVATOR 1 OUT OF SERVICE - BETHESDA PARKING UPDATE

Heads up for users of the St. Elmo-Cordell public parking garage, which is currently undergoing repairs:  Elevator #1 is currently out of service for electrical repairs.  Elevator #2 is still working.

BETHESDA AND MEDICAL CENTER METRO STATIONS CLOSED THIS WEEKEND

Driving is the best option this weekend for anyone living in Bethesda or beyond on the Red Line.

Metro is closing the Bethesda and Medical Center stations for "track work," etc.

You know the drill:  Closures and delays for "repairs" that have yet to produce any tangible improvement in service or safety.

Gluttons for punishment will be able to board shuttle buses between Grosvenor and Friendship Heights.  Personally, I would just drive.

Metro got their fare increase.  Pepco got their rate increase.  We're paying for it all, yet our customer experience has not improved.  Yet politicians' bank accounts grow fatter by the day, and they heartily approved all of the above.

The "new" Metro "repairs" and "work" are the Emperor's New Clothes almost as much as Bus Rapid Transit.

No one can show any tangible improvement in Metro performance, yet closures and inconvenient weekend schedules persist.