NEW ROOFTOP COULD BE COMING TO BETHESDA'S WOODMONT TRIANGLE (PHOTOS)

A new project proposal for the Lot 667 site, along St. Elmo and Fairmont Avenues, includes a rooftop deck. The 3-story retail-office building, designed by the architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc., would also feature a pedestrian plaza connecting St. Elmo with Fairmont, as the neighboring Bainbridge Bethesda project does. That Lot 667 plaza appears to be wider than Bainbridge's, and would include seating and a covered, shaded area. Use of the rooftop space is not specified. Renderings do not show a bar like the neighboring Roof restaurant, so it is unclear if the rooftop is limited to office tenants (like 7550 Wisconsin) or could accommodate a dining/nightlife tenant.

While the building will house 7,000 SF of floor space, the ratio of retail-to-office is not known at this stage. That could be determined by market conditions and potential interest. The upper floor window designs could be appropriate for either use. Glass facade atriums that appear to rise the full height of the building on the Fairmont and plaza sides are particularly nice elements, I think.

The surface grade of the site would descend toward St. Elmo, and be made navigable via stairs and a handicapped ramp. So the St. Elmo side would be dominated by public space, rather than the building itself. That location is currently home to the Red Tomato Cafe and BCC Automotive buildings and driveway. Structures that would be demolished to make way for the new building on the Fairmont side are the former homes of Dansez Dansez and Fresh Grill, and a driveway.

Importantly, the proposal again leaves 4901 Fairmont Avenue intact at Norfolk Avenue. 4901-B is currently leased by Bold Bite, and 4901-A is available for lease, after former tenant BlackFinn failed to pay rent. SJKAIA has been retained by property owner Greenhill, which is exploring options for the Lot 667 properties. Hanaro and Bangkok Garden are not part of Lot 667, and will remain in place.

Overall, the project is architecturally more ambitious than the initial proposal, while the modest height will limit vacancy risk in Montgomery County's currently-miserable office space market. It also appears to meet the demands expressed by residents for more public space in downtown Bethesda. Certainly, the proposal is an upgrade over what is there now.

All renderings courtesy of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc.
All rights reserved
Renderings drawn by Andrew Bzdega

GALLERY BETHESDA RIBBON CUTTING AND ROOFTOP/SKY LOUNGE TOUR (VIDEO)

Travel vicariously with me 18-stories above downtown Bethesda, and see it as you've never seen it before, from the new highest point in town - the Gallery Bethesda luxury apartment tower, at 4800 Auburn Avenue.

Developer and builder The Donohoe Companies, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, building management firm Vantage Management, and a representative of Congressman Chris Van Hollen were among those celebrating the Grand Opening of the Gallery at a ribbon cutting last Thursday.

Here is video from the ribbon cutting, and then we take a high-speed elevator to the rooftop and Sky Lounge. There you'll see the posh indoor space, as well as the amazing views from the outdoor rooftop deck, complete with gas grills, fireplace and resort-style pool. Among the sights from the roof are Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, NIH, Tysons Corner (including a 30-story Donohoe residential building that just topped out, and can be seen from the Gallery), White Flint, Silver Spring, Glenmont and Sugarloaf Mountain.

GALLERY BETHESDA LUXURY APARTMENTS GRAND OPENING PHOTO GALLERY!

Did you stop by the Grand Opening of the first new residential building to open in Bethesda in years yesterday? If not, I have photos from the opening here for you. And rooftop views that are not possible from any other vantage point in Bethesda. Video is coming soon!

Fortunately, the weather turned perfect just in time for the event, as representatives of Donohoe Development, Vantage Management, Monument Bank, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, and other VIP guests celebrated the opening of the state-of-the-art Gallery Bethesda luxury apartment tower. As always, click on any photo to blow it up for greater detail:

Getting ready to cut the ribbon

Rooftop pool, complete with
artworks and a lifeguard on duty

Since I was last up on the roof at
The Gallery, Roof - the restaurant - has
opened (upper left corner)

18 stories above downtown Bethesda;
that road going straight into the
distance in the upper right corner?
Arlington Road

For those who can't decide whether
they want to lay out in the sun, or
be in the pool - you can multitask
on the roof at Gallery Bethesda

It won't be this easy to get a chair
after the building fills up

The outdoor fireplace is on the
other side of the fencing by the pool

Take in the skyline of the Bethesda Central
Business District from here

Not a cloud in the sky. Well...

VIP guests

More VIP guests

This outdoor fireplace will be
fantastic during the winter

I hope you're not afraid of heights

Walter Reed National Military Medical
Center

The Mormon Temple

Inside the rooftop Sky Lounge

Rack 'em up

I should have grabbed that
Bud Light Straw-Ber-Rita
before it disappeared

The late James A. Donohoe III at
the Gallery's topping out party
(sorry for the blurry photo, but
this photo was part of the slideshow
running on the big screens)

Indeed it is!

The photo booth

You have to spend time in the Sky Lounge to pick
up all of the little interior design details

Tables with views include this
one by the pool

Chill out after work in front of the big screen

There's the screen

Another poolside view

I've named this the
Walter Reed table

The elevators to the rooftop

There was a scavenger hunt to
win prizes

Appetizers by 4935 Bar & Kitchen
on Cordell Avenue

More of the 4935 spread...

Perhaps something healthier?

With Gallery Bethesda's property manager,
Manuel Majano, in charge, the
entire event was well-orchestrated

ROOFTOP POOL PARTY TONIGHT AT DOUBLETREE BETHESDA HOTEL

The rooftop at the Doubletree Bethesda hotel will be hosting parties Thursday and Friday nights this summer, from 5-10 PM.

Stop by tonight to check out the best view of downtown Bethesda.

7535 OLD GEORGETOWN ROAD: NEW IMAGES OF KETTLER 15-STORY LUXURY BUILDING AT COMMERCE LANE

Kettler has provided new images of its planned 15-story mixed-use "tower" at Old Georgetown Road and Commerce Lane, near the Bethesda Metro Center.

The project includes 120 apartments, and 5000 square feet of retail space.

New details include a rooftop with spectacular views, a roaring fireplace, seating areas, and even grills to put your steaks, burgers, hot dogs, etc. on.

The bad news? It's for building residents only!

With the Akridge Class A office building nearby having a private rooftop, as well, perhaps those of us on the ground may hear shouted queries of, "Would you happen to have any Grey Poupon?"

But, of course!

There is a mystery sculpture that the developer says is still under wraps, planned for the Old Georgetown Road entrance. The planning documents promise the sculpture will be of sufficient quality as to become a defining Bethesda landmark.

Let's hope so. Because the building concept itself is still lacking.

To try to explain, if I come up out of the Metro (assuming escalators are functioning!), if I look at the Capital One Building or the Bethesda Metro Center, I know I'm in downtown Bethesda immediately.

If I look at this proposed building, however... where am I?  Ballston? Rockville?  This building could be anywhere.   It's a decent, shoulder-shrugging design on the curved side.  But then they lapsed into that intolerable, "multi-color" trend so prevalent in our region in recent years, on the other sides of the building.

I don't get the message of that color concept. "Help, I've run out of the materials I was using - let's finish it with these other materials we have left over from another project?"

"I like all 3 of these designs. Instead of choosing one, let's just make it 3, 3 buildings in one!?"

It is a Frankenstein Effect, in my opinion. Most great buildings in the world do not look like a mash-up of  3 buildings.

My reaction to these multi-color, mixed use designs is similar to that of Jacques Pepin's when making an unannounced visit to a college dining hall kitchen.

Just pick one design and stick with it.

This one needs work.

It's just frustrating to add a lot of traffic, and whatever the effects will be on nearby residents structurewise, and not be getting the very best in design.

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.