NIGHTTIME UTILITY WORK ON ST. ELMO AVE. IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Work crews are back on St. Elmo Avenue tonight, working on underground utilities. Watch out for lane closures on St. Elmo between Norfolk and Woodmont Avenues. A few readers have complained of nighttime noise from this work.

Setting up for a long
night ahead

You might want to detour around this
via Cordell and Norfolk Avenues

They're working on
below-ground utilities

I AM SHOCKED, SHOCKED WOODMONT AVE. WON'T REOPEN UNTIL 2015 (PHOTOS)

I think the biggest question about the briefly-promised reopening of Woodmont Avenue south of Bethesda Avenue is, why was it proposed to begin with? By my recollection, it was not originally planned to reopen at this stage of the Lot 31 development, anyway. The garage isn't ready, and neither building is near completion. Would it have been great to get it open? Sure.

But I was rightly skeptical when a mid-August reopening was first floated. How could a road be brought up to code with ADA and Bethesda Streetscape requirements from scratch in a couple of weeks? Then we found out how - with no such requirements or pedestrian access. Simply a two-lane cut-through for cars only. This did not seem to mesh with all of the trendy talk about walkable communities, pedestrian safety, "people over cars," bike lanes, and "complete streets" we hear so often in Montgomery County.

Then there were the confusing signs. No Pedestrian Access. Which worked so well on Fairmont Avenue, and still does along the former post office site on Arlington Road, right? Ask any driver who rounds the curve on Arlington, to find a couple of pedestrians' backs facing them in the roadway, how well it worked. Extremely unsafe, and the proposed Woodmont Driveway (to use a more accurate term) would have been dangerous as well, knowing that people were going to save a couple of minutes by plunging into oncoming traffic. One commenter on this blog made a good point about the very winding, bending nature of the road, too. Somehow, I doubt that's what the final road will be like - for safety purposes, if nothing else.

And no one ever explained the full implications (legal or otherwise) of the sign announcing that segment of Woodmont was not a publicly-maintained street. I had always assumed Woodmont would reopen as a finished street, maintained by the County.

Keeping Woodmont closed is hardly convenient for the general public. But inquiring minds want to know a couple of answers. What was the sudden rush to reopen, when nobody was expecting it anyway? And what specifically came to light regarding safety, that wasn't known when the original mid-August reopening date was given? It sounded unsafe from the beginning. And it didn't seem to make sense to have the developer and construction contractors spend the time and money on this, and then call it off.

DUNKIN' DONUTS POSTS COMING SOON SIGN ON ELM ST. IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Dunkin' Donuts has posted a Coming Soon banner at its future space on Elm Street in Bethesda. That space's former tenant, Galaxie Cleaners, is moving around the block to Hampden Lane to the Shoppes of Bethesda.

New location of Galaxie Cleaners
on Hampden Lane

New stone facade being
added to the renovating
Shoppes of Bethesda

As I've previously reported,
the entire shopping center
is getting a major makeover

ST. ELMO APARTMENTS DESIGN UNVEILED IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The future of St. Elmo Avenue got bigger last night, when the sketch design for the 16-story St. Elmo Apartments was unveiled at a public meeting in Bethesda. Steve Robins, with Lerch, Early & Brewer, presented the sketch plan he said Lenkin Companies will submit to county planners within the next month.

A mixed-use project, St. Elmo Apartments will include up to 15,500 SF of retail space, up to 210 luxury apartments, and a potential second floor office space for Lenkin, which has been headquartered at this site since 1970. Chef Tony's and Pizza Pass would be demolished for the construction, currently scheduled to begin in mid-2016 or 2017.

Lenkin has hired David M. Schwarz to design the building, and Robins said they are aiming for a "timeless" design, rather than "trendy or aping past traditional style." He said glass will be the predominant exterior feature. DMS designed the Baltimore Orioles training facility, along with many big projects in the DC region. Lenkin has selected Rhodeside & Harwell for the landscaping and exterior space, a firm that worked on the impressive Intelsat Tysons Tower recently.

Public space is a priority for the developer, Robins said, and Lenkin hopes to work closely with next-door neighbor Bainbridge to realize a pedestrian plaza that will give a strong sense of place.

Speaking of place, the building entrance and parking will front on St. Elmo, as the developer feels that street is "more marketable" than Fairmont Avenue (although the project applicant's official name is 4931 Fairmont Avenue LLC).

Building amenities will include a roof terrace, a pool one flight down from the roof, and dens for some of the 1 and 2 bedroom units.

A St. Elmo Avenue businessperson attending last night's meeting expressed concern about parking, noting that the Cordell-St. Elmo public parking garage is full by midday, creating parking problems for her customers.

In a departure from the trend these days, Robins said St. Elmo Apartments will actually provide more than the required parking on-site - 220 underground spaces in a 4-level garage for 210 (or less) apartments. He also said that the pathway next to the 7770 Norfolk apartments on Fairmont Avenue will make the Woodmont Avenue garage accessible to visitors or patrons of businesses at the St. Elmo Apartments.

As you'll see in the images below (click to enlarge for greater detail), there are alternative plans to capitalize on the space between the St. Elmo and Bainbridge. The most promising would create a large, Bethesda Lane-style public space between the buildings. This is similar to what will eventually exist on Auburn and Del Ray Avenues, when The Rugby is built across from Gallery Bethesda.

There's a lot of potential to do something special with this project, and several high-quality firms involved. Done right, this could be a great addition to the Woodmont Triangle.

Woodmont Triangle and
current zoning

Aerial view that shows several
new and future buildings
in tan color
(Gallery Bethesda, The Rugby upper left;
Bainbridge and 4990 Fairmont center;
7990 Wisconsin, 7770 Norfolk right)

Show me the blueprints,
show me the blueprints

16 stories above
the Woodmont Triangle

Public space

Some individual units

Showing roof terrace and
pool one level down

3 possible configurations for
the public street/plaza between
the buildings

And thank you for
reading!

All images courtesy Lenkin Companies
and DMS Architects, All rights reserved

UPDATED: COLD STONE CREAMERY, MAX BRENNER TO OPEN AT WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL IN BETHESDA?

Update 12:00 AM Tuesday, August 26:

I was informed Monday evening that neither Cold Stone Creamery nor Max Brenner have signed leases at the retail center. A post on Westfield Montgomery's official Facebook page earlier Monday (pictured below), which listed both among incoming tenants - and was the source for my report - has been removed. At this point, Cold Stone or Max Brenner coming to the mall has to be classified as a rumor only. Although my article was based on an official post on the mall's Facebook page, I apologize to readers for the confusion.

Post on Westfield Montgomery Facebook page
listing Max Brenner, Cold Stone Creamery
as incoming tenants Monday; the post
was deleted later in the day

Original story (now updated above):

Two more dessert options have just signed on for the new Dining Terrace at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Cold Stone Creamery and Max Brenner will open locations at the mall, which has many other upscale and fast casual restaurants on board already, including CRAVE, Lobster ME, Cava Grill, and MET Bethesda.

Cold Stone Creamery is best known for its ice cream - and for enthusiastic singing and dancing employees. Max Brenner - already well known to Bethesdans from its Bethesda Row location - is pretty much the ultimate chocolate shop.

Two great new after-movie options once they - and the ArcLight Cinemas - open at the mall.

7770 NORFOLK LUXURY APARTMENTS CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

The future luxury apartment tower at 7770 Norfolk Avenue is really starting to head skyward towards its eventual 17 stories. JBG's mixed-use project reached street level recently. Now a good-size piece of the ground floor is taking shape behind the walls at Norfolk and Fairmont Avenues. 

You'll notice a Putzmeister on-site. That's a concrete placing boom, I believe. It is labeled Schuster Concrete on the side, which is a Maryland concrete firm with multiple plants, including its newest in Rockville.

Click on any photo to enlarge for greater detail:

Clark Construction is building
the project for The JBG Companies

Close-up of street-level floor

Another street-level shot with
neighbor Bainbridge Bethesda in
the background (R)

Where 7770 meets the building next
door along Norfolk Avenue

Bainbridge Bethesda, a luxury
apartment competitor, is
directly across Fairmont Ave.

In the distance are
Triangle Towers (C), the new
Gallery Bethesda (peeking over
Triangle Towers) and the
Landow Building (R)

Owens Corning Foamular
insulation

The upright black tower (with
the yellow base) in the
center is the Putzmeister

ASSAULT ON NICHOLSON LANE, 2 LIQUOR ARRESTS + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on August 22, according to crime data:

Disorderly conduct. Wisconsin Avenue at Cordell Avenue.

Theft from vehicle. 4700 block Chevy Chase Drive.

Theft. 8200 block Old Georgetown Road.

Theft. 4400 block Willard Avenue.

Theft. 6000 block Greentree Road.

Liquor arrest. Allan Road at Baltimore Avenue (Glen Cove).

Theft. 10700 block Kings Riding Way.

Vehicle burglary. Old Georgetown Road at Democracy Boulevard.

Assault. 5600 block Nicholson Lane.

Theft. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard.

Theft. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Liquor arrest. 6200 block Poindexter Lane.

HYPOTHETICAL BETHESDA BREWPUB COULD DRAW INTEREST IN HAMPDEN LANE SITE (PHOTO)

A spacious, two-level space at 4800 Hampden Lane awaits an ambitious restauranteur in downtown Bethesda. To spur interest, leasing agent Cushman and Wakefield has commissioned an architect's rendering of what the restaurant could look like. The fictional "Bethesda Brew" actually looks and sounds like it would be a draw on quiet Hampden Lane, which is scheduled to get a massive new neighbor up the block, the Bainbridge Wisconsin building. (Click photo above to enlarge for greater detail)

But the eventual tenant obviously is not required to open a brewpub. The space and bilevel design certainly would allow for more than the standard restaurant concept. Another great element is the fact that both levels have outdoor seating areas. Let's hope someone takes note of this spot for a potential restaurant, upscale Las Vegas-style nightclub or...brewpub.

Rendering courtesy Cushman and Wakefield
and
GTM Architects

SUBURBAN COMEBACK: CONDO SALES FLAT WHILE SFH SALES ROSE 2.7% LAST MONTH

The rumors of the suburban apocalypse were greatly exaggerated. Just two months after data showed more people again moving to the suburbs than to urban cities, sales of condos are being outpaced by single-family homes.

According to the National Association of Realtors, condo sales were flat last month, unchanged from the previous month. During the same period, single-family home sales rose by 2.7%, USA Today reported Friday. Southern and western states recorded the highest number of home sales, while the northeast had no growth over the previous month.

Apparently many Americans are still fond of trees, lawns and backyard barbecues.

ANOTHER WOOD ACRES AUTO BREAK-IN, BURGLARY DOWNTOWN + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

An additional vehicle break-in was reported in west Bethesda Thursday, following a string of incidents there this past week. Again, the crime was committed in the Wood Acres neighborhood, on one of the same streets victimized earlier.

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on August 21, according to crime data:

Vehicle burglary. 4900 block Cordell Avenue.

Burglary. 7200 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Theft. 4700 block Rosedale Avenue.

Theft. 4400 block East-West Highway.

Theft. 4600 block Norwood Drive.

Vehicle burglary. 3500 block Husted Driveway (North Chevy Chase).

Vehicle burglary. 6000 block Woodacres Drive (Wood Acres).

Vehicle burglary. 5900 block Maplewood Park Place.

Theft. 10100 block Grosvenor Place.

Vehicle burglary. 10900 block Keswick Street (Garrett Park).

3-D ANIMATED RENDERING OF FUTURE CORDELL AVE. RETAIL/RESTAURANT BUILDING (VIDEO)

The former men's shelter at 4848 Cordell Avenue is about to be transformed into a restaurant/retail space. Architecture firm Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc. posted an animated, 3-D rendering of the future renovation on Facebook yesterday. Construction is scheduled to begin on September 15.

FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO SMOKE AT BETHESDA METRO STATION (PHOTOS)

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue services responded to a report of smoke at the Bethesda Metro station around 9:00 PM tonight. No fire was found. Trains were briefly slowed along the Red Line. According to MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer, the smoke was coming from an arcing insulator in the tunnel just outside the station.

By 9:30, a station announcement by Metro indicated trains were back on their normal weekend schedule. Firefighters and investigators handed over the issue moments later to Metro maintenance crews.

Battalion Chief on scene at
Bethesda Metro station tonight

Firefighters in Bethesda Metro station

There was minimal
disruption of train service

A few tense moments,
but all smoke and no fire

TEXAS HAS JOBS, GROWTH, AND...DAVE AND BUSTER'S!

With the demolition-bound White Flint Mall having given Dave and Buster's the boot from Montgomery County 2 weeks ago, I couldn't help but notice this article on the contrasting situation in Texas. Unlike Montgomery County, the Lone Star State is booming with tech and industrial jobs, and is a major destination for millennials seeking employment.

Where we now have no Dave and Buster's, Houston is about to welcome its third D&B in 2015. As suburban areas are again outpacing urban ones in growth nationwide, Houston's newest D&B will be in an indoor mall (that is rapidly-expanding its square footage by 50%), not an urban "town center."

RASH OF AUTO BREAK-INS IN WEST BETHESDA - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

If you live in the west Bethesda area along Massachusetts Avenue and River Road, you may want to double check that all valuables are removed from your vehicle(s). One or more criminals are working neighborhoods between those roads, breaking into multiple vehicles over a three day period.

The neighborhoods targeted this week were Wood Acres and Springfield.

Watch for suspicious activity or vehicles in your neighborhood, and report them to the Montgomery County Police immediately.

Here is the list of vehicle incidents so far:

Monday, August 18

5400 block Kirkwood Drive (Springfield).

6000 block Woodacres Drive (Wood Acres).

5900 block Harwick Road (Wood Acres).

Tuesday, August 19

5600 block Ogden Road (Springfield).

5900 block Woodacres Drive (Wood Acres).

Wednesday, August 20

6000 block Milo Drive (Wood Acres).

6000 block Gloster Road (Wood Acres).

6000 block Gloster Road (Wood Acres).

SHOPPES OF BETHESDA RENOVATIONS UPDATE: STAIRS CLOSED (PHOTOS)

The extensive renovation of the Shoppes of Bethesda continues adjacent to Bethesda Row. One particular impact of note, is the temporary closure of the stairs that allow patrons to pass from the Elm Street side to the Hampden Lane side of the outdoor mall. These will remain closed until September 26, 2014.

The major interior work underway on Elm Street is in the former Ri-Ra space, now being taken over by SoulCycle and Noodles & Co. You can also see preparations for the opening of Galaxie Cleaners, which is moving from the Elm Street side up to the Hampden side, to make way for Dunkin' Donuts.