Purple Line night work to begin near Columbia Country Club tonight

Despite having the legal right to walk off the project, Purple Line contractors are continuing work on the light rail line. Starting tonight, crews will be working between 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM near the Columbia Country Club. This will continue for three nights, Purple Line Transit Partners said.

Construction continues at mystery grocery store in Chevy Chase (Photos)

Work is advancing on the conversion of the old Giant space at the Collection at Chevy Chase in Friendship Heights. The new grocery store tenant is being kept a secret, but UrbanTurf reported last January that it could be an Amazon grocery store. There is currently only one confirmed Amazon grocery store opening in Montgomery County, an Amazon Fresh grocery store that will be in the 270 Center on Shady Grove Road in Gaithersburg.

Another car stolen in Bethesda

The reports of stolen cars in Bethesda continue to pile up. A vehicle was stolen from the driveway of a home in the 5700 block of Bradley Boulevard between Wednesday night and Thursday morning last week. Over the same night, property was stolen from a car parked in the driveway of a house in the 5300 block of Bradley.

Le Chateau de Crystale moves into vacant bank space in Bethesda

Le Chateau de Crystale, a floral design and wedding and event decor business, has leased space at 7126 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Themed events they can organize for you range from "The Great Gatsby" to "Winter Wonderland." Services available include floral design, linen and decor rentals, lighting, backdrops and stages, wedding favors, and set up/takedown. 

Hours are currently by appointment only. The space was most recently home to Carroll Community Bank.

First signage installed at The Wilson office tower in Bethesda (Photos)

The first signage at Carr Properties' 7272 Wisconsin Avenue project in Bethesda was installed Friday. It is on the glass directly above the front lobby entrance of The Wilson office tower, displaying the name and street address of the building. Expect to eventually see a prominent logo for Fox 5, which is relocating its station to this building in about nine months, according to Fox 5 General Manager Patrick Paolini, Jr.

Bethesda GNC store holding moving sale

The GNC store at 4925 Elm Street in downtown Bethesda is holding a moving sale. While hundreds of GNC stores nationwide have closed, or are scheduled to close, this particular location is not on the official GNC closing list as of this writing. Prices are 50-75%-off during the sale.

Car stolen in Ashburton area of Bethesda

Temperatures are cooling down, but local car thieves aren't. Another car has been stolen in Bethesda, the fourth this week. This time, a vehicle parked along the street in the 10000 block of Sinnott Drive was taken sometime between 7:30 PM Wednesday night, and 11:00 AM Thursday morning. That's very close to Ashburton Elementary School.

For good measure, a thief also stole valuables from a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home in the 6800 block of Renita Lane. That's not that far from where the other vehicle was stolen.

Gas pumps removed at new Bethesda Exxon station (Photos)

The gas pump area at the new Bethesda Exxon station at 8240 Wisconsin Avenue was fenced off Thursday. Then the gas pumps were removed. This is not uncommon at gas stations when the pumps or underground gas tank are replaced.

Although the station's land was purchased by a developer earlier this year, it's unlikely to close anytime soon, as it was just remodeled and rebranded to Exxon. Last evening, the car wash and convenience store appeared to remain open.

Sign installed at Hawkers at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Hawkers Asian Street Fare is getting closer to opening day every day at Bethesda Row. On Thursday, the permanent sign was installed on the front facade. Interestingly, it reads, "Hawkers Asian Street Food," instead of the chain's trademark Hawkers Asian Street Fare name. 

A separate sign bearing the character logo for the company was hung near the entrance to the restaurant, which is designed to resemble the appearance and experience of an Asian food hall. See my post from yesterday for a sneak peek at the interior.

Yes, that Mercedes Benz logo lights up at night at EuroMotorcars Bethesda (Photos)

Some readers asked if the giant Mercedes Benz logo added to the new EuroMotorcars Bethesda showroom Monday would light up at night. I am pleased to report that, indeed, it does. 

Another reader asked why the part of the showroom closest to Arlington Road was featuring desks instead of vehicles. EuroMotorcars says that the arrangement is only temporary due to continuing construction on another part of the new facility. When that work is complete, the desks will move and cars will then take the spotlight inside the large Arlington Road-facing windows.