Element 28 is the first thing visitors to Bethesda will see exiting Metro (Video+photos)

A new addition to the downtown Bethesda skyline is the first thing visitors will see as they rise out of the Bethesda Metro station. As the GIF video below shows, the Kettler-developed Element 28 apartment building is straight ahead as the escalator reaches the Bethesda Metro Center plaza.

To the immediate right of Element 28 is the 7550 Wisconsin office building. With its glowing leaf sculpture out front, the design of Element 28 is going to be one of the first impressions new arrivals have of downtown Bethesda.

Element 28 will include 101 apartments and 3500 SF of ground floor retail. The 15-story project is scheduled to deliver this fall. For an impressive video, watch a time-lapse movie of the building being constructed from the beginning until now, on the project's webcam page (where you can watch the construction site live).

Tout de Sweet takes summer break in Bethesda

L'horreur!

French pastry shop Tout de Sweet is the latest downtown Bethesda small business to take a summer break. They will reopen on Tuesday, August 16, 2016.

If you need French pastries between now and then, you have Fresh Baguette and Paul Bakery on Bethesda Avenue, and - closer to Tout de Sweet -  the new Gold Leaf Bakery at 4918 St. Elmo Avenue in the Bainbridge Bethesda luxury apartment tower.

Tout de Sweet is located at 7831 Woodmont Avenue.

Can a county running on Windows 2000 be called "Tech Savvy?" Uh...yep.

What happens when your county government is found to be running on Windows 2000...fourteen years after the year 2000? When your county 911 system goes down, and two residents calling for help die during the outage...and your Alert Montgomery messaging system doesn't send out an alert until 11 minutes after the outage is over? When your public school system's "secure" student information is held in a database that hasn't been supported by its developer since 2012?

You get an award!

Montgomery County and the Public Technology Institute gave us some much-needed comic relief from the horrors of terrorism and the presidential campaign this week, when they announced that PTI has declared MoCo to be "tech savvy."

You can't make this stuff up, folks.

It's a major award! Seriously, though, what was it that put us over the top?

Was it Councilmember Roger Berliner, when he asked: In the year 2016, when attempting to dial 911 in an emergency - “Would I be looking at my cellphone for alerts? I don’t think so.”

To quote his colleague George Leventhal, in the midst of publicly berating a female County employee on live television, "WHAT YEAR IS IT?! WHAT YEAR IS IT?!"

It's 2016. The same year a state audit of MCPS found that exterior users can gain access to "any destination on the MCPS network." That an insecure connection protocol used by MCPS administrators shows login credentials in clear text. That 86 third-party business partners of the school system improperly have "network-level access to the entire MCPS network." That every computer tested by state auditors was determined to be running an outdated operating system. That 75% of the workstations they tested did not have the latest security updates downloaded. And that 13,000 MCPS computers were determined to not even be compatible with the anti-malware software tool the school system uses.

Was that "tech savvy" enough for the judges?

No, perhaps what put us over the top was the County Council throwing a tantrum that the aforementioned County operating system was so ancient, that it couldn't sync calendars with the fancy new phones councilmembers could afford after voting themselves a 28% raise (don't you wish you could do that at your office?).

Or a tech-based effort to "help" food trucks, which ended with 96% of food trucks either leaving the County, or going out of business altogether. Was that what snagged us the tech savvy award?

Maybe it was the drone adventure by the same County official who helmed Councilmember Hans Riemer's aforementioned food truck fiasco. That former Riemer campaign operative and donor, who was rewarded for his efforts with a $150,000-a-year County position created just for him, spent about $3000 of taxpayer funds on drones without clearing it with the higher-ups. After County Executive Ike Leggett got wind of it, the early Christmas presents ended up as extremely expensive paperweights in the County Innovation Officer's office.

That had to be it, right?

Or maybe it was the County Department of Liquor Control's paper-and-Post-It Notes inventory system, which has restaurant and bar owners taking the lead in efforts to boot the current County Council from office?

There's just so much tech-savvyness here in Montgomery County, it's honestly hard to say.

Whatever "open data" and "big data" efforts that have been made by Montgomery County have simply been aping similar moves by other jurisdictions across the country in that direction. It was just a few years ago that the City of Baltimore, the State of Maryland and Montgomery County were stealing wholesale from New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani with their various CityStat, CountyStat and StateStat programs, without crediting Giuliani, Bill Bratton, or other pioneers in the field.

I recall a consultant standing before the Mayor and Council of Rockville a few years ago, eagerly promoting the idea that he could shift the venerable Rockville Reports newsletter from print to online. Not exactly groundbreaking; should he have received an award?

By the way, in researching PTI, I noticed something else odd: two of the other jurisdictions that received the Tech Savvy award were Evanston, Illinois, and Mesa, Arizona. If you check the PTI Board of Directors list, the City Managers of Evanston and Mesa currently sit on the Board. Can anyone explain that?

Theft from vehicle on Saratoga Ave., burglary on Lenhart Drive, + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on August 1, according to crime data:

Vehicle burglary. 100 Hesketh Street (Chevy Chase Village).

Drug arrest. Capital Beltway at Connecticut Avenue exit.

Theft from vehicle. 5300 block Saratoga Avenue.

Theft. 5200 block Pooks Hill Road.

Burglary. 7200 block Lenhart Drive at 9:13 AM.

Drug arrest. Democracy Boulevard at I-270.

New Bethesda Circulator stops getting new signage (Photos)

It looks like new bus stop signage is coming to new Bethesda Circulator stops in downtown Bethesda. The Circulator's route was extended to a larger portion of the downtown, including these stops on Bradley Boulevard. Decorative poles that look a little fancier than the typical Ride On/Metrobus stop signs have now appeared at these stops.

SHA installs No Standing signs at Bradley Blvd. crosswalks (Photos)

A number of readers have continued to express concerns about the safety at marked crosswalks on Bradley Boulevard between Arlington Road and Wisconsin Avenue. The latest safety addition by the Maryland State Highway Administration are "No standing any time" signs that forbid vehicles from sitting close to the crosswalk.

This should partially address the issue of people parking right up at the crosswalks, where their vehicles were blocking drivers' view of pedestrians entering the crosswalks. I'm not sure why the signs say "standing" instead of "parking," but maybe those in the know about crosswalk safety engineering can weigh in on that in the comments below.

Here you can see the distance the SHA
is attempting to keep clear prior
to the crosswalk

Awning installed at Maryland Stamps & Coins in Bethesda (Photos)

Maryland Stamps & Coins' new location is lot easier to find in downtown Bethesda. They installed an awning outside yesterday.

I initially was a bit worried for them, as the new spot is not very conspicuous, and is mainly seen by traffic heading north on Woodmont Avenue. You don't really see it if you're heading south, or turning right onto St. Elmo Avenue. And it is recessed back from the townhouse next to it, so people turning left from St. Elmo onto Woodmont may not notice it.

But the awning is pretty sharp and legible from a distance, so it should help. Maryland Stamps & Coins is moving here from the Connor Building, which is being demolished this fall to make way for a Westin hotel. If you're buying, selling, or getting stamps or coins appraised, this is the place to go in Bethesda.

First renderings of "The Claiborne" condos that will replace Steamers in Bethesda (Photos)

The newest future addition to the downtown Bethesda skyline has a name - The Claiborne. That's what developer Novo has just branded its 110' luxury condominium building it has filed for review by Montgomery County Planning Board. Inside the 11-story building will be 58 condos and 2800 SF of retail/restaurant space. 15% of the units will be moderately-priced, more than the 12.5% required by Montgomery County. The building is located at 4820 Auburn Avenue, in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle.

This project is being filed under the current zoning, rather than that expected to replace it via the new Bethesda Downtown Plan in the coming months. To achieve the proposed height, Novo is acquiring density transfers from the following properties: 5001 Wilson Lane (The Peripoint Building), 5027 Wilson Lane (a commerical building across from Bethesda Elementary School), 4820 Cordell Avenue (???), 5004 Cordell Avenue (on the block between Wilson and Old Georgetown Road).

Ground level floor plan

According to the sketch plan application, The Claiborne will have a 4-story base dominated by masonry, then step back six feet from the fifth floor upward with a greater emphasis on glass. "Dramatic views of the neighborhood" will be available to residents on the rooftop deck, which will have landscaping, seating and gas firepits. The 3-level underground garage will hold 45 parking spaces; the project is in a parking district with public parking nearby.

Rooftop deck as seen
from above the building

No public art installations are planned, but the developer says colored lights will be added to the upper northern facade of the building. These are designed to be seen by pedestrians and cyclists following Norfolk Avenue from Battery Lane Park into the heart of downtown. That feature will be fleshed out during the site plan phase, but you can see the lights represented in the color rendering at the top of this article.

SK+I is the architecture firm designing the building; landscaping will be designed by Carvalho and Good, PLLC, of the District. Everything about the project looks promising so far.

Renderings courtesy SK+I
All rights reserved

Aroma appears to be for sale in Bethesda (Photo)

A "bakery coffee setup in prominent shopping mall" listed for sale online looks a lot like Aroma Espresso Bar at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The business is listed at $300,000.

Aroma has a lot going for it, with unique menu items and a very nice outdoor patio seating area. The store also faces a lot of high-profile competition inside the mall, most notably Starbucks and Peet's Coffee and Tea. Blaze Pizza recently closed across the corridor from Aroma.

Disorder in downtown Bethesda, burglary on Tilden Lane + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on July 30, according to crime data:

Disorderly conduct. 4900 block Cordell Avenue.

Disorderly conduct. 4800 block Cordell Avenue.

Disorderly conduct. 4800 block Cordell Avenue.

Disorderly conduct. Norfolk Avenue at Auburn Avenue.

Theft from vehicle. 4800 block Bethesda Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 8600 block Hempstead Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 8700 block Hempstead Avenue.

Theft. 5300 block Western Avenue.

Theft. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard.

Theft. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard.

Burglary. 6800 block Tilden Lane at 10:05 AM.

Sheepskin Gifts and Alpaca Too returning to Westfield Montgomery Mall

Sheepskin Gifts and Alpaca Too is returning to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The apparel and accessories store carries items like sheepskin gloves and alpaca coats. It will be located on Level 1 this time, in the space that was being used for a pop-up art display.

Chuy's is coming to Federal Plaza (Photos)

Austin-based Tex-Mex chain Chuy's has leased the vacated Ruby Tuesday space at Federal Plaza in the Pike District. Construction is now underway inside and outside the future restaurant.

Like all Chuy's locations, this one will have a shrine to Elvis, and hubcaps and wooden fish hanging from the ceiling. It will also have the recipes taken from towns on both sides of the border, and emphasis on fresh ingredients, found in all of their restaurants.

Chuy's started in 1982, but only began to expand outside of the Lone Star State in 2009. The Rockville location is part of a planned expansion in the D.C. area. Get ready to order a Big As Yo Face burrito, pay further tribute to The King with the Elvis Presley Memorial Combo, and cool off with one of their signature cocktails.

The restaurant will be located at 12266 Rockville Pike.

Assault on Tuckerman Lane, theft from Glen Echo Pharmacy + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on July 29, according to crime data:

Theft. 7900 block Norfolk Avenue.

Theft. 4500 block East-West Highway.

Stolen car. 9000 block Rockville Pike.

Theft. 5300 block Saratoga Avenue.

Theft. 4700 block Overbrook Road.

Theft. 5200 block Massachusetts Avenue.

Theft. Glen Echo Pharmacy.

Vehicle burglary. St. Mark's Presbyterian Church.

Vehicle burglary. 5800 block Magic Mountain Drive.

Assault. 5500 block Tuckerman Lane.

Theft. 4900 block Macon Road (Randolph Hills).

Pieces of "landmark" new downtown Bethesda sculpture arrive for installation (Photos)

Rendering of the finished
art installation
(Courtesy Kettler)

Is this downtown Bethesda's next landmark? Developer Kettler promised it would be during the planning process. Now the components of this distinctive public art piece have arrived.

The components of the
art piece have arrived
on-site

The glowing leaf sculpture will be outside of Kettler's Element 28 luxury apartment tower, along Old Georgetown Road across from the Bethesda Metro station. An appropriate theme for an enlightened, environmentally-conscious town like Bethesda, it would seem.

101 apartments and 3500 SF of retail space round out the Element 28 project, with amenities like a green rooftop deck and a bike repair shop on-site.

Sports Authority closes at Montrose Crossing (Photos)

Sports Authority has closed at the Montrose Crossing shopping center in North Bethesda's Pike District. The store looks cleared out of merchandise inside, although shelves and checkout counters remain in place.

It will be interesting to see what Federal Realty does with this large space - bring in Dick's Sporting Goods, another big box retailer, or reconfigure the space into multiple retail and dining units.

Dick's, which bought the intellectual property rights and 31 leases from the bankrupt Sports Authority chain, has stores in Wheaton Plaza and Rio/Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg.

Speaking of Dick's, that mega chain is poised to be the second biggest beneficiary of the closure, according to a study by NinthDecimal, an audience intelligence data firm. Walmart, Target, Marshall's, Kohl's and Kmart are all stores where current Sports Authority shoppers spend money, the firm found.

Federal Realty may pick up some of the lost traffic at their Pike & Rose development diagonally across the street. Not only are they adding a Nike Factory Store, but REI - now under construction at Pike & Rose - is forecast to be the fourth most-likely destination for Sports Authority patrons.

Bethesda Harris Teeter sets opening date (Photos)

The new Harris Teeter, located in the Flats at 8300 luxury apartments at 8300 Wisconsin Avenue, will open on August 24, 2016. A pharmacy and Starbucks will be located inside the store, the first Harris Teeter to open in Bethesda (they do have one in North Bethesda's Pike District). Starbucks fans will like to scroll down to see the first supplies being loaded in for the in-store Starbucks.  

Matuba closes in Bethesda (Photos)

They really mean it this time. Matuba, a popular Japanese restaurant and sushi bar on Cordell Avenue, has permanently closed.

Owner Kunio "Yasu" Yasutake's restaurant became an institution in downtown Bethesda over 37 years of operation in the Woodmont Triangle. He first made history by offering what was, at the time, the only rotary sushi buffet in the Washington, D.C. area. The restaurant would wind up being one of the longest to continuously operate in Bethesda history.

The restaurant has been put on the market for sale twice in the last 18 months. At one point, Yasu "retired" for six months, only to make a triumphant return in September 2015. He says he is retiring now for good, but leaves his loyal customers with a final message: "Arigato!"