Thursday, July 31, 2014

THE HAMPDEN DEMOLITION IN BETHESDA, DAY 3! (PHOTOS)

It's getting near the very end at The Hampden apartments. The entire upper floors of the building have now been demolished, leaving the basement level to be completed. Hey, who forgot to remove the Venetian blinds from the windows before the demolition? Couldn't some poor person have made use of perfectly good sets of blinds, rather than just trashing them with the rest of the building?



CALYPSO ST. BARTH READY FOR FRIDAY GRAND OPENING AT BETHESDA ROW (PHOTOS)

The window displays are in place, the merchandise is racked, and Calypso St. Barth is ready to welcome customers at 4810 Bethesda Avenue tomorrow, August 1. Friday's grand opening kicks off a weekend-long celebration at the resort wear boutique's new Bethesda Row location. New arrivals would never imagine this shop was previously a Dunkin' Donuts.



OUTDOOR MOVIES RETURN TO BETHESDA ROW IN AUGUST 2014!

After a year off, Movies Under the Stars returns to Bethesda Lane every Tuesday at dusk, beginning August 19 and ending September 30. Stay tuned for the line-up of films! Redwood will again be hosting the outdoor movies at Bethesda Row, which likely means more creative cocktail and menu tie-ins with the movies being shown.

GALAXIE CLEANERS TO MOVE TO NEW SPACE WITHIN SHOPPES OF BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Galaxie Cleaners will move from its current location at 4943 Elm Street, to a space upstairs at the same shopping center, The Shoppes of Bethesda, on August 15. The move will likely facilitate the eventual takeover of their space by Dunkin' Donuts, which plans to reopen this fall on Elm Street. Rumor has been that the dry cleaners could be the site of the new donut shop.



Wednesday, July 30, 2014

THE HAMPDEN APARTMENTS DEMOLITION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Demolition crews continue to obliterate The Hampden apartments on Hampden Lane at Woodmont Avenue, in downtown Bethesda.





PARVA COCINA & TEQUILA BAR TO OPEN AUGUST 7 IN BETHESDA

I have a few more details on the Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar story I reported yesterday. The revamped Parva Restaurant and Lounge at 7904 Woodmont Avenue will celebrate its grand reopening next Thursday, August 7.

The renovated Parva's tequila bar will stock over 32 tequilas, and the business has a new logo, as shown above.

WESTWOOD SHOPPING CENTER TO HOST SIDEWALK SALE, FOOD TRUCK RALLY IN BETHESDA

The future redevelopment of the Westwood Shopping Center still has a long planning process ahead, but new landlord Equity One is already bringing its expertise in retail center management to Westbard Avenue. Starting with a Sidewalk Sale this Saturday, August 2, Equity One is launching a series of property events and promotions. Having been a lifelong patron of the Westwood Shopping Center, this is the first such event there I can recall in my lifetime. Then, in September, the shopping center will host an even more ambitious event, a Food Truck Rally.

SIDEWALK SALE
AUGUST 2

This Saturday's Sidewalk Sale will not only feature sale items from merchants, but also a DJ, face painting and games for kids, and an ice cream truck. There will also be a pet adoption event, organized by the Montgomery County Humane Society. Attendees can sign up to win a raffle prize, as well. The Sidewalk Sale hours will be from noon to 4:00 PM.

FOOD TRUCK RALLY
SEPTEMBER 20

The Food Truck Rally will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2014, from 12:00 to 6:00 PM. A selection of Montgomery County's best food trucks will be on hand at the shopping center, and tables with seating will be provided for diners. There'll be a DJ to provide music again, and a raffle prize. The Food Truck Rally will also feature its own sidewalk sale, in concert with a Back to School Sale and school supply drive.

E-RECYCLING DAY
SEPTEMBER 27

Last, but not least, the shopping center will host an E-Recycling Day on Saturday, September 27, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Get rid of unwanted tower CPU units, laptops, LCD monitors/televisions, plasma TVs, cables, wires, cords, fax machines, telephones, and printers. 

The recycling event will NOT be able to take the following equipment, however: CRT monitors or televisions, and kitchen appliances like microwaves, refrigerators, ovens or washer/dryer units.

Along with recent safety and security upgrades at the property, this is certainly a positive start for Equity One. These types of events are standard at most retail centers operated by similar, national real estate firms, such as Federal Realty and Tower. Beyond that, it shows the tremendous potential for other events that could be hosted on the portion of the parking lot near Westland MS. 

Westwood Shopping Center 
5400 Westbard Avenue

TRADER JOE'S SAID TO BE ANCHOR TENANT AT 7900 WISCONSIN AVE. IN BETHESDA

A Freudian slip last night led to the revelation that JBG has found a big name grocery store tenant to anchor its 7900 Wisconsin Avenue mixed-use project. Representatives of the developer, and Clark Construction, briefed the Board of Directors and residents of the nearby Fairmont Plaza condominiums at a standing-room only meeting Tuesday evening.

During the presentation, a JBG representative said a national grocery store chain had signed a lease for 13,000 square feet of retail space. Pressed on which chain it was, the representative declined to identify it. Later, he identified a parking area as designated for "Trader Joe's" customers. After attendees noted he had just revealed the grocery store's name, he expressed regret at the gaffe. In such a large gathering, the cat was unfortunately out of the bag, to the delight of some Trader Joe's fans in attendance. Despite the slip-up, don't expect official, public confirmation of the signing at this juncture by the parties involved in the project. By the way, there is already a Trader Joe's in downtown Bethesda, in the Shops of Wisconsin at 6831 Wisconsin Avenue.

Other interesting new details emerged last night, as well.

The 17-story apartment building will also house 8,000 SF of restaurant space, a key factor in activating the nicely-designed public plaza between Wisconsin and Woodmont Avenue. There will be 4 levels of underground parking for residents, and Trader Joe's and restaurant customers. They do not expect blasting to be necessary for the garage, as they will utilize machinery to remove rock.

After the Bainbridge excavation, the potential for adjacent properties to be damaged during the excavation process seems to be foremost on everyone's mind. Concerns raised regarding potential damage to Fairmont Plaza were dismissed, based partially on the fact that Fairmont Plaza's foundation is further below ground than 7900 Wisconsin's will be. One sensitive factor is that - while the units in Fairmont Plaza are separated from the 7900 project by a ground-floor retail and garage entrance extension, its underground garage does border the dig site for 7900 Wisconsin. That matter will be dealt with by JBG and the owner of the Fairmont Plaza garage, representatives said.

Construction is scheduled to commence in January or February of 2015, and the site will eventually host two tower cranes. The construction will take 28 months to complete. As expected, this demolition and construction schedule does not correlate with the owner of Fitness First's statement that his gym would remain at 7904 Wisconsin Avenue through 2019. That building will be torn down as part of the construction starting in early 2015. The upshot at last night's meeting was that those details could not be discussed publicly right now.

Fitness First is a tenant in
one of the buildings slated
for demolition, but has
said it's not going anywhere
One other issue brought up, was the potential for the luxury apartments in 7900 to be converted to condos. Not likely, according to JBG. There is a 70-year land lease on the 7900 site, and land leases discourage development of condominiums.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

THE HAMPDEN DEMOLITION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Demolition of The Hampden, one of the last affordable apartment buildings in downtown Bethesda, continues on Hampden Lane. The machinery is making short work of this solid, venerable brick building, as you can see in the photos. Some of the green awnings still in place were drooping over the windows. The Hampden is being obliterated to make room for The Lauren, with luxury condos "from the several millions." It's sad to see. Expect some lane closures at times in the area, due to the dump trucks that need to line up to haul the debris away.



DRUG ARREST ON FAIRMONT AVE., ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY BLVD - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on July 26, according to crime data:

Drug arrest. 4900 block Fairmont Avenue.

Theft. 4900 block Bethesda Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 10700 block Rockville Pike (Georgetown Prep/Strathmore area).

Vehicle burglary. 11300 block Rockville Pike (White Flint area).

Assault. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard.

Burglary. 8800 block Tuckerman Lane.

THE PARVA TO REOPEN AS PARVA COCINA & TEQUILA BAR IN BETHESDA

The Parva, a Latin American restaurant and lounge at 7904 Woodmont Avenue, is currently renovating its dining room, and will reopen as Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar. During the renovation, the upper level Parva Lounge will remain open for business on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

While The Parva specialized in South American cuisines, including those of Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela and Peru, the new concept suggests a more Mexican theme. The owners recently opened a Tex-Mex restaurant and lounge in Wheaton, called El Fogón de Wheaton.

Stay tuned for details on the grand reopening.

Monday, July 28, 2014

BLAZE PIZZA BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Construction continues at Blaze Pizza, scheduled to open this summer at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. As you can see in the photos below, Blaze follows the recent trend of new dining tenants at the mall who have taken their space - and branding - through the mall's exterior wall. The "fast-fired" pizza chain has attracted celebrity investors; Maria Shriver, her son Patrick Schwarzenegger, Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner, and Panda Express founder Andrew Cherng are among those who have invested $3 million in the company.




ASSAULT AT SEARS + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on July 25, according to crime data:

Theft. 4400 block Montgomery Avenue.

Liquor arrest. Rockville Pike at Wilson Drive (NIH area).

Vehicle burglary. 7600 block Newmarket Drive.

Theft. 5400 block Tuckerman Lane.

Theft. CVS Pharmacy (Wildwood Shopping Center).

Theft. 5000 block Euclid Drive.

Drug arrest. I-270 at Rockledge Drive.

Assault. Sears at Westfield Montgomery Mall.

DOUGLAS DEVELOPMENT BUYS DOWNTOWN BETHESDA PARKING LOT (PHOTOS)

DC development powerhouse Douglas Development now has a third potential redevelopment site in downtown Bethesda. A Douglas real estate subsidiary, Jemal's Del Ray LLC, has acquired a parking lot at 4906 Del Ray Avenue for $2,000,000. The lot is located directly behind Home Care Assistance, formerly the home of longtime tenant O'Rourke, Ltd. Jewelers.

Douglas has two other properties poised for redevelopment in town. One is on the boards now, a luxury apartment building at 8008 Wisconsin Avenue. A second property, currently occupied by Tommy Joe's and Pines of Rome, is owned by Douglas, but no redevelopment plan has been announced publicly for it to date.
The parking lot is located to the
right of this building, along
Del Ray Avenue
Top photo: Google Maps
Bottom photo: Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row

Sunday, July 27, 2014

BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - ARCLIGHT CINEMAS/DINING TERRACE AT WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL (PHOTOS)

Construction fences have been removed outside of the future ArcLight Cinemas/dining terrace wing at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Scheduled to open this fall, the wing will include the 16-screen ArcLight cineplex, as well as a host of new restaurant options for pre-theater dining.

A new sign has been installed at the garage entrance (above), and a larger scaffolding has been attached to the exterior to the left of the main entrance. You'll also notice that the area of the facade with the "gold bricks" has now been covered with a textured panel. A stone staircase is also more visible below the scaffolded area, and sidewalks/landscaping islands are now being constructed.




ASSAULT ON IPSWICH ROAD, DRUG ARREST BY NIH + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on July 24, according to crime data:

Theft. 7700 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Drug arrest. Rockville Pike at South Drive (NIH area).

Burglary. 8600 block Rayburn Road.

Theft. 8800 block Altimont Lane.

Assault. 5800 block Ipswich Road.

Vehicle burglary. 5300 block Carvel Road.

Theft. 5900 block Overlea Road.

Vehicle burglary. 5200 block Wissioming Road.

Theft. 5400 block Marinelli Road.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT ISSUED FOR SANDY SPRING BANK AT 7550 WISCONSIN AVE. IN BETHESDA

A Montgomery County construction permit has been issued for the new Sandy Spring Bank branch, in the Class A office building at 7550 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. The 3,250 square foot branch will be on the ground level of Akridge's completely renovated and reskinned 10-story office tower, located near the Bethesda Metro Station. Sandy Spring will also be leasing office space on another floor in the building.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

MCDONALD'S JALAPEÑO DOUBLE REVIEW (VIDEO)

After months without a new entree on the menu (since the Bacon Clubhouse), McDonald's finally has a new burger - the Jalapeño Double burger. The Jalapeño Double features 2 of the standard McDonald's all-beef patties, white cheddar cheese, ranch sauce and - surprise! - jalapeños. And lots of jalapeños, it turns out. Some fresh sliced, and others crispy-fried.

Ironically, Baltimore was a test market for this burger last year. Now I finally get a chance to test it out, in this new video review.

BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on July 23, according to crime data:

Vehicle burglary. 7700 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Theft. 5000 block Wilson Lane.

Theft. 7200 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Theft. 4800 block Earlston Drive.

Theft from vehicle. Tuscarawas Road at Iroquois Road.

Theft. 10500 block Rockville Pike (Grosvenor Metro vicinity).

Theft. 4900 block Nicholson Court.

Theft. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Theft. 5800 block Nicholson Lane.

DEMOLITION OF THE HAMPDEN APARTMENTS UNDERWAY IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The Hampden, one of downtown Bethesda's last affordable apartment complexes, is now being demolished on Hampden Lane. Several single-family homes on the future site of The Lauren ultra-luxury condos have been razed over the last few weeks. Yesterday, demolition began on the actual garden apartment structure itself.


Friday, July 25, 2014

MICROSOFT STORE OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED FOR WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL

Microsoft and Westfield Montgomery Mall have now officially confirmed my June 4th report - a Microsoft Store is indeed opening at the Bethesda mall. The store will be on the mall's upper level, near Macy's. This is something of a return to the mall by Microsoft, as the company previously operated a kiosk here during the launch of the original Surface tablet.

The 1,273 square foot new store will sell those, as well as Windows PCs and phones, and the popular Xbox One game console. An Answer Desk is Microsoft's...answer...to the Genius Bar at Apple Stores. Microsoft says the store, its first full product line location in Maryland, will employ 25-30 people in total.

DRUG ARREST AND THEFT ON WESTBARD AVE. + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME REPORT

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

Theft. 7600 block Old Georgetown Road.

Theft. 6800 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Theft. 9000 block Hempstead Avenue.

Drug arrest. I-495 Inner Loop at Connecticut Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 8700 block Irvington Avenue.

Drug arrest. 5300 block Westbard Avenue.

Theft. 5100 block Westbard Avenue.

Drug arrest. Dickens Avenue at Lone Oak Drive.

Theft. 10300 block Rockville Pike (vicinity of Grosvenor Metro).

Vehicle burglary. 4400 block Tournay Road (Westmoreland Hills).

Vehicle burglary. 6700 block Newbold Drive.

Theft. 8300 block Burdette Road.

Theft. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

BETHESDA POST OFFICE PLANS TO REMOVE OUTDOOR MAILBOX IN AUGUST (PHOTOS)

The U.S. Post Office at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda plans to remove one of its two outdoor mailboxes on August 21, 2014. According to a note posted on the mailbox, the removal is due to low demand. 

I can't argue with that. This is a minor issue compared to the many problems that remain after the debacle that was the Bethesda Post Office decision. No convenient parking. No functionally-accessible parking for the disabled near the post office entrance. No drive-by dropboxes for letters and packages. And not within easy walking distance of a major portion of downtown Bethesda.

Until the county can come to grips with the outstanding issues that remain with the new post office, a reduction to one mailbox seems trivial.


No convenient parking,
and no functionally-accessible
parking for the disabled

The consolidation of downtown
Bethesda's 2 post offices into
this location remains an
unsolved mystery

Who in Montgomery County
was involved in the selection
of 6900 Wisconsin Avenue, and
who wasn't involved?