PIKE AND ROSE: ANOTHER MOCO MISADVENTURE IN ARCHITECTURE

Not again. The "new" designs for future mini-Manhattan Pike and Rose resemble the lackluster ones previously revealed. Clusters of non-descript office towers and mixed-use town centers sit, bump-on-log style, astride a once-bustling shopping center, a half-hearted paean to "The Man."

We're giving up Toys R Us for this?

In that case, I don't want to grow up, Geoffrey!

The plan aesthetically refutes all of the buzz phrases so-called "Smart Growth" development advocates enjoy deploying in planning work sessions nationwide.

To use one of their phrases, there's no "there" there.

Examine the close-up of what seems to be the Bethesda Lane or Rockville Town Square of Pike and Rose.  Context aside, where are you in this scene? Can you identify a single architectural feature that says Pike and Rose, White Flint, Montgomery County, anything? (Please leave it in the comments if you can!).

The comparison to Bethesda Row is indeed a stretch. Bethesda Lane is probably one of the few town centers anywhere that actually has an identity of sorts.  But at Pike and Rose, one could be in New Jersey or Portland or at any of the other bland, nondescript town centers in the DC area.

And why does it look like the grand curve of Old Georgetown Road has been whipped into an old-fashioned, 4-way urban intersection?  Not only is the new work disappointing, but they're going to iron out one of the few road stretches with character in the area to boot? L'Enfant may rise from the dead if he hears of this.

Speaking of roads... That trench labeled "Montrose Parkway" at the top?  That's supposed to be a six-lane Rockville Freeway. And without the Rockville Freeway (and additional MARC and Red Line capacity), this whole White Flint plan simply cannot handle the influx of cars it will bring.

It's no secret I opposed the White Flint plan as passed by the Montgomery County Council.  But if you're going to "transform" an area, at least do it responsibly, and utilizing designs that improve the aesthetics and quality of life for residents.

Despite my opposition to the WF plan, I would probably approve the 2 towers (one already built) and the "ziggurat" development proposed by JBG nearby.  While not Dubai-esque, at least they have something to offer artistically and help define a location.

Maybe it's early, and the buildings shown are placeholders for exciting designs to come at Pike and Rose. But at the moment, what's being touted is only reinforcing what I had predicted long ago.

In the richest county in the richest country in the world, why are we content to take an architectural back seat to Dubai, Hong Kong, and Shanghai?

NEATO VENETO

A PHANTOM CONDO PROJECT

AND THE

MYSTERIOUS FUTURE OF

4901 CORDELL AVENUE

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Cordell Avenue is a tale of two blocks.  The first block, between Old Georgetown Road and Norfolk Avenue, has a number of good restaurants like Tragara and Matuba, but - with the major exception of the Caddies on Cordell patio - can tend to be fairly dead at night.  Once you walk east of Caddies, there just isn't much energy or activity there.

Go to the second block, however, and you have Freddy's Lobster and Flanagan's Harp and Fiddle with outdoor patio buzz, and residents coming and going at Triangle Towers and The Palisades apartments.  It's a lot more welcoming at night.

One of the "dead spots" is a small building at 4901 Cordell.  Six years ago, it was to be demolished and replaced by a boutique, mixed-use luxury condo building, called The Veneto.

Now, before I go any further, I'd say that there's no reason the existing building couldn't be renovated into a nice set of restaurants and shops.

But the owner and developer was intent on knocking it down for The Veneto.

I had mixed feelings about the Veneto project.  You can check out a nifty little Adobe Flash presentation of The Veneto at the architect's website.

Certainly the design is a lot more upscale than the current structure.

What's nice about it?

Well, it certainly was ambitious for the lot size.  It would really bring the corner of Cordell and Norfolk to life, but only if it had the right restaurants.

It had a clever parking solution in its odd, underground garage configuration.

What don't I like?

The design is still fairly bland.  It's not unique in any way, shape or form despite the claims on the website.  This building could be in Rockville, New York City or Clarendon, and nobody would know the difference or even care.

My biggest beef with The Veneto was its lack of affordable housing.  In addition to getting a free pass from the Planning Board on public-use space and parking minimums, The Veneto was almost the poster child for the infamous Bethesda concept known as the "boutique condo building."

As you can read on the website, there were only going to be 2 condos per floor, and then a sumptuous penthouse atop the building.

According to the planning document I saw, there was not even one affordable unit in the building.  You would think the Planning Board could have insisted on at least dividing one unit into 2 or 3 smaller apartments as MPDUs.

So the bottom line on this project's "value-added" score is pretty low.

The Veneto would definitely improve the neighborhood, by activating at least the corner, and part of two blocks which are currently dead at night.  It would bring light, energy and activity, perhaps like that found on Norfolk near Rock Bottom, Hanaro and BlackFinn today.

But it would add nothing architecturally, nor would it address the need for affordable apartments and condos to attract younger residents to Bethesda.  Strictly for the Daddy Warbucks set.

The bigger question, though, is what is the fate of 4901?

While The Veneto seemed to sail through the Planning Board's cakewalk of an approval process, it was never built.

After years of delay, there are vacant and abandoned storefronts.

Now, even the jewelry store is closing for good.

A sign is offering the existing building for sale or lease, and even suggests the seller will assist in renovating and updating the building.

We can speculate that The Veneto was a casualty of the real estate bubble bursting, especially given its high-end, limited target demographic.  I don't think it's a tragedy, given its many shortcomings.

But having said that, the location could certainly use some life at night, whether it's the existing building, The Veneto, or a more architecturally-imaginative blend of restaurants, market rate apartments and luxury units.

Let's hope a grander yet more value-added concept prevails.

BETHESDA ROW

DEVELOPMENT TO

IMPACT RESIDENTS

OF THE SEASONS,

SACKS SUBDIVISION

Parkmageddon is upon us at Bethesda Row, now that Public Parking Lots 31 and 31A have closed for demolition. But the two luxury residential buildings to rise in their places will most directly impact current residents of The Seasons apartments (pictured above) which border Lot 31A, and homeowners on Leland Street in the neighborhood known as Sacks, which is directly behind Lot 31 (top photo).

Sacks is named after the original landowner, George P. Sacks - now there's some Bethesda history for you!

Both communities have enjoyed fantabulous views of Bethesda Row and downtown Bethesda. But that will be lost for the apartments and homes directly aside the new buildings.

As one can imagine (and is quite obvious from the above photos) there is also going to be quite a bit of noise from the construction site over the next 2+ years. The unique quality of Sacks will be all but lost; up until now, a person walking through the neighborhood could fool themselves they were on a leafy, suburban street miles from the city. At the same time, residents could take a 1 minute walk to all of the downtown excitement at Bethesda Row. Now Sacks will be the literal manifestation of the Roger Lewis cartoon, which showed condo towers looming over a family's backyard barbecue.

Let's not forget that a developer tried to buy the whole Sacks neighborhood just 7 years ago, and extend Bethesda Row to Bradley Boulevard. That case became enshrined in history, as not only an example of the real estate madness of that era, but a warning to all that developers and the politicians they elect know no bounds. And that they will bulldoze suburbia in Montgomery County, if and when they can "change behavior and attitudes" regarding home ownership, backyards, trees, and white picket fences. I think urban living is great, and clearly, more and more people agree every day in the DC area. But so are suburban and rural living, and how boring would it be if Montgomery County lost that variety? Not to mention the environmental damage.

It's also hard to believe that, just a decade ago, residents behind the Giant/Trak Auto (I can hear some of you asking, "What's that?!")/Baskin Robbins shopping center were up in arms about a two-story grocery store and the relatively-short Upstairs at Bethesda Row project. While ridiculously low-density, short, boutique condo buildings near the Bethesda Metro station unbelievably - and foolishly - receive continuous approval from the county council and Planning board, the old "step-down" concerns where urban meets suburban seem to have been tossed out the window.

The fact is, in downtown Bethesda since the late 80s, the only constant has been change, as they say. For some residents near Bethesda Row, change is about to hit home.

PROVOCATIVE

NANDO'S PERI-PERI

GRAFFITI STREET ART

MAKES A SPLASH AT

BETHESDA ROW

Bethesda Avenue Art Murals Add Color,

International Ambiance to Garage Entrance

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

What makes great art? There are as many answers as there are people. But one is, art that makes people think or evokes a reaction.

Nando's Peri-Peri has brought its world-famous chicken to Bethesda Row, and now it has added a splash of color to our garage entry with new murals on its side wall. Kudos to Nando's for livening up a dead space.

Designed to evoke spontaneous, rogue street art with touches of artificial graffiti, the pieces also bring an international urban touch to the Row. By which I mean that they don't strongly suggest one particular culture, style, city or country, very appropriate for our very diverse metropolitan area.

There's also a nice contrast with the very formal European design of the Bethesda Lane pedestrian street next door, parallel to this edgy, energetic, contemporary installation at Nando's.

What do you think of the new art at Nando's?