B.F. Saul's Chevy Chase Trust building is arguably the most-recognized modern building in downtown Bethesda, even from vantage points miles outside of town. The development firm is promising something similar with its proposed redevelopment of a two-story commercial building at 8001 Wisconsin Avenue, and adjacent properties, into a 350-unit residential building with ground floor retail. It will encompass the entire block, bordered by Wisconsin, West Virginia Avenue to the south, Tilbury Street to the east, and Highland Avenue to the north.
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View from across Wisconsin Avenue,
just north of Highland Avenue |
"B.F. Saul builds and holds landmark buildings indefinitely," the firm's Senior Vice-President of Construction Brian Downie told attendees at a public meeting last night. Downie sought to distinguish Saul from developers who build, then quickly sell off their projects soon after delivery.
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8001 Wisconsin's site plan includes
a rare vehicle pull-off driveway for
deliveries and drop-offs |
Saul also addressed some frequent concerns about downtown developments in its proposal, particularly those of residents on the east side of Wisconsin Avenue. A 70' park will be added in addition to a required rear "greenway" strip along Tilbury, and there will be a plaza driveway at the building's main entrance for pull-off of delivery and drop-off vehicles, rather than have them block curb lanes on Wisconsin or West Virginia Avenue.
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| Peaked gable roof faces Tilbury Street |
John Torti of architecture firm Torti Gallas + Partners described the proposed building design as a series of courtyards. I was delighted to see the famous Kennedy Warren, one of the most-noted grand residential buildings in the District, as a reference point for the design. Indeed, some of the Kennedy Warren characteristics are evident in the images shown of 8001 Wisconsin.
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| Wider view from Tilbury Street |
Renderings also showed a gable peaked roof facing the residential neighborhood of East Bethesda, a location-appropriate design touch developer Equity One steadfastly refused to provide in a similar situation on Westbard Avenue and Ridgefield Road. The building will be 90' tall at Wisconsin Avenue, and drop down to 70' facing Tilbury, with the 70' park between the rear of the building and Tilbury.
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| Cutaway view of underground parking |
There will be three levels of underground parking. Retail will be on the Wisconsin side of the ground floor. A WMATA grate for the Metro Red Line tunnel will remain in place.
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Public green space behind 8001 Wisconsin is shown
in context of other green space in the vicinity |
Attorney Bob Dalrymple said he expects the project to break ground in early to mid-2022, if no major delays are encountered in the approval process. Last night's meeting was a required pre-submission meeting for the project's Sketch Plan and Preliminary Plan, which will be submitted to the County Planning Department next week on March 3, 2020. A public hearing on those plans before the Planning Board will likely be held in July 2020.
The required pre-submission public meeting for the project's Site Plan will be held in late summer or fall this year. Saul will then submit its Site Plan to the County following that meeting in the fall of 2020. A 2024 delivery is predicted.
