Bethesda construction update: 7272 Wisconsin Avenue (Photos)

Here are some night scenes from the well-illuminated construction site at Carr Properties' 7272 Wisconsin Avenue megaproject, which will include two 290' towers, 360800 SF of office space , 14572 SF of retail and restaurant space, and 480 residential units, 15% of which will be affordable MPDUs. There will be 7500 SF of public space, as well as the Bethesda Purple Line station, and the pedestrian access to it.

In many of the pictures below, you will see the base of one or the other of two tower cranes required for the project. The final photos show one of the cranes after completion.

Update: An error regarding the square footage of retail space was corrected.

Vineyard Vines limited-edition Shark Week apparel in Bethesda

Shark Week returns July 22, and Vineyard Vines is getting a jump start on the annual celebration of the world's favorite predator now. The chain's founders have launched a limited-edition Shark Week line of apparel and accessories, inspired by the filming of Jaws on Martha's Vineyard, where they opened the very first Vineyard Vines store. Not every Vineyard Vines location is carrying the Shark Week merchandise, but fortunately for Bethesda Shark Week fans, the Westfield Montgomery Mall store is.

Watch out: the stiff prices will take a huge bite out of your wallet. Trucker caps go for $32, and Vineyard Vines Shark Week t-shirts are a whopping $45 apiece. Ouch. One question is circling the Shark Week boat this year - will Montgomery County residents still watch, now knowing that Discovery is abandoning downtown Silver Spring for the friendlier business climate of Knoxville, Tennessee?

Zenscape spa, Zumiez clothing coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall

Two very different new tenants have signed on at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Opening soon will be Zenscape spa, which already has a location at the Westfield mall in Annapolis. Zenscape will be located on Level 1 next to Claire's.

Also arriving soon will be Zumiez, which offers apparel aimed at heavy shredders of all ages. Whether you are a skater, a snowboarder, a surfer, or all of the above, Zumiez promises "cutting edge" apparel and accessories for you. Zumiez will be on Level 2 by Kicks USA. "Skate or Die! Skate or Die! Die! Die Die Die Die Die!"

The Promenade goes smoke-free in Bethesda

The resort atmosphere at The Promenade will now come with fresher air. Shareholders at the flagship of developer Nathan Landow's portfolio of luxury buildings in Bethesda voted by a 9-1 margin Monday night to make the gated high-rise officially smoke-free.

More than 80% of shareholders cast votes at the meeting. One person familiar with the history of the issue at The Promenade said that less than ten years ago, the matter did not even have sufficient support to be put up for a vote. The question of going smoke-free is one that is more and more frequently discussed at building board meetings in downtown Bethesda. Post-recession luxury towers that have opened advertising their smoke-free status seem to have added momentum to the discussion.

JP Morgan Chase Bank leases space at JBG Smith's 4749 Bethesda Ave. retail building

After Dean & DeLuca quietly backed out of their lease at JBG Smith's new two-story retail building at 4749 Bethesda Avenue, the question has been, who will take over the distinctive structure. JP Morgan Bank has now leased 2853 SF at the building for a new Bethesda branch.

JP Morgan Chase announced in April that it planned to enter our region's banking market in a big way, with 70 branches expected to open in the D.C. area. A month later, it purchased the Bowen Building in the District, as its new regional headquarters. The seller of the Bowen Building was...JBG Smith.

Bethesda was on the list of branch locations in April, but now we know where it will be. 4749 Bethesda is part of the larger 4747 Bethesda Avenue office tower development now under construction adjacent to the unique train station-inspired retail building.

Bethesda construction update: Five Guys at Montrose Crossing (Photos)

Five Guys is not new to either Rockville or Bethesda, but this new one at Montrose Crossing on Rockville Pike will split the difference. The familiar checkered tile, counters and even the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine are in place. No furniture yet, though.

Westfield unveils new urban-style development plan for Montgomery Mall (Photos)

The "Winter Garden" indoor promenade proposed
for Westfield Montgomery Mall's new urban
development addition

Westfield unveiled its proposal for a new, urban-style development addition at Montgomery Mall at a public meeting in Bethesda last night. Featuring new high-end retail and restaurants, a hotel, and 682 apartments, the addition will replace the existing Sears store and surface parking on that side of the mall property. Throwing out phrases like "iconic destination," and featuring a Swedish "woonerf" as a design centerpiece, the plan appears to set the stage for a future transformation of the mall property in the coming decades.

Heritage Court area

The rollout got off to a bumpy start when someone at Westfield decided to leak the plans and renderings to a local media outlet several hours before the 7:00 PM meeting, perhaps seeking a favorable report. A Westfield representative who led the meeting then appeared to refer to that outlet's report, as if it had been widely read, causing confused looks among a crowd that obviously had no clue what he was referring to. Favoring one media outlet over others is not a smart PR strategy, to say the least.

The "Woonerf," a Swedish-conceived
"calming street" that will bisect the new
urban area at Montgomery Mall

Westfield is comparing the new development to Federal Realty's Pike & Rose. The architecture will "reflect the seasonal, wooded quality of the community, combined with a modern, urbane feel." It will be anchored by three main design elements - the Winter Garden, Heritage Court, and the aforementioned woonerf. The woonerf is a Swedish concept for a "calming" street, designed to be used simultaneously by pedestrians, cyclists and automobiles, and equipped with "traffic calming features."

The first two phases of the project are
the Winter Garden/Apartment building 1, and
apartment building 2

None of the buildings are supposed to be taller than the new ArcLight Cinemas nearby on the mall property. Parking will be handled by new garages under the residential and retail, as well as a new garage behind a new retail building, that will be constructed where the current ring road meets the edge of the current Sears parking lot.

Two renderings of the site plan

Westfield acknowledges that Ashburton Elementary School is overcrowded, and says it will be unable to move forward with any residential portion of the development until there is capacity. How that is possible when Phase 1A includes an apartment building is unclear. Construction of the Winter Garden is anticipated to begin next year, after Sears closes on March 31 and is demolished. The Winter Garden is designed to function as the transition zone between the indoor mall and the new development, as an indoor promenade for year-round use.

Partners for the project

Heritage Court, by contrast, will emphasize open space and the outdoors. It will cross the Woonerf, and connect the two separate apartment buildings, and another building with retail and "creative office" space. Renderings give it a Bethesda Row-esque appearance. The hotel and yet another retail structure will be located at the other end of the Woonerf. Westfield is promising one parking space per apartment, and four spaces for every 1000 SF of retail.

Heritage Court and Paseos; an
ice rink is shown a possible winter feature

Construction of the new development is anticipated to be completed by 2022. Westfield will file its preliminary and site plans in late June or early July (MCPS paper schools, er, "placeholders" take effect July 1, so watch that date). The plans require an amendment to the existing plan it received approval for in 2015.

A display of transportation modes for the
new development, and arrival patterns

The rest of the existing mall, minus Sears, will remain intact for this project. Last night's meeting was set up as an open house; one-on-one conversations at the displays were designed to answer questions.

The mall's 2015 approved site plan

Design concepts

The existing retail center

Many questions

Stormwater management plan

Woonerf design concepts