Thursday, September 25, 2014

LEAHY PLUMBING & HEATING LEAVING BETHESDA, CITES DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC/PARKING AS REASONS

Leahy Plumbing & Heating, whose Cordell Avenue headquarters went on the market for lease days ago, has found a new home in White Flint. In a message posted out front yesterday, owner John Leahy explains that, after more than 50 years on Cordell Avenue, the company has found downtown Bethesda traffic and parking difficult for its fleet of vehicles to navigate. "It's been fun to watch Bethesda change over my lifetime and it's hard to say goodbye to the neighborhood I've grown up in," Leahy wrote. The specific street address of the new building was not given, but since employees are dispatched when you call the company's number, that should not make a big difference for customers.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sad to see a 60 year old company move out of their spot but glad they are staying alive and adapting.

Anonymous said...

It wasn't like they provided a service out of there. It was basically a business office and a dispatch office. Did you ever see the fleet of trucks parked around there? No they were out doing work and they probably had take home trucks.

I don't see this as a big issue, the building is an eye sore anyway. Probably just had it so it was close to where they lived and the bars.

Woodmont said...

I usually saw one old vintage pickup truck in the alley.

Anonymous said...

Good points all around. I guess it was more the world changing around them. They could probably be in an industrial area with cheaper rent for sure since it's not really a storefront.

Rocksy said...

Yet another Fortune 500 company moving to White Flint.

Anonymous said...

Sad to see another bit of old Bethesda go, but it's no longer the best use of land and not the best place for the business, either. Time marches on.

So what will it be replaced with? Another bank? Another burger place? Another massage parlor?

Anonymous said...

Sad, but not surprised to see it go. Ever since the Bethesda Metro Station opened 30 years ago, property values, traffic and congestion have all increased dramatically.

Frank said...

Robert -

It looks like another plumbing business is leaving the Triangle. I was driving along Linden Lane earlier today and I noticed a very new sign for M.H. Barnes Plumbing & Heating very close to the Blaine Window Repair office.

I checked their old office at 4901 Rugby Avenue, just a few minutes ago and it has closed already There is a sign directing customers to their new location at 9347 Fraser Avenue (corner of Linden Lane), Silver Spring. I didn't have a chance to write down the number but I'm pretty sure that's it.

(Barnes' website still has the old address.)

I don't know for sure but I think that the Rugby Avenue building may be an old schoolhouse.