Homesense opens at Montrose Crossing (Photos)

Homesense has opened at the Montrose Crossing shopping center on Rockville Pike. The shelves are jam-packed with home decor and improvement items, and furnishings and lighting fixtures abound on the sales floor. Logo color-coordinated shopping carts look sharp. Prices are stated to be 20-60% below Homesense's competitors.

Public meeting scheduled for proposed redevelopment of long-vacant Bethesda gas station

A developer has scheduled a public meeting to reveal its plans to redevelop a long-abandoned gas station atop the Bethesda Metro station at 7340 Wisconsin Avenue. Previous projects, including a senior housing development, have fallen through over the last decade. That has caused the prime piece of property to instead become a prominent eyesore in the heart of the business district. Now another opportunity to revitalize the site has emerged.

The new proposal includes up to 310 residential units with ground floor retail, for a total of 315,000 square feet of development. Current zoning allows a maximum height of 250', but with additional height available in exchange for amenities or provision of affordable units beyond the required minimum.

Representatives of the developer will present the plan at a virtual public meeting on July 12, 2022 at 7:00 PM. See the sign pictured above for the codes needed to join the meeting.

Grenade found in Bethesda backyard

A person digging in the yard of a home in the Westgate neighborhood of Bethesda yesterday discovered a grenade. The surprising find was unearthed around 5:30 PM yesterday in the 5300 block of Worthington Drive. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and Montgomery County police personnel responded to the scene, including explosive experts. MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer said that the grenade was determined to be inert, with no danger of exploding.

Shells fired from a World War I-era chemical weapons testing ground by American University have been found in Spring Valley, and as far away as the Maryland side of Dalecarlia Parkway, in the past. There is no indication at this time that the grenade has any association with those U.S. Army activities over 100 years ago.

Photos courtesy Pete Piringer/MCFRS

Dairy Queen closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Sad news for Dairy Queen fans, including me. Dairy Queen has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Last night, the Dairy Queen stall was shuttered and dark. Menu boards and a significant amount of equipment had been removed, but the sign was still up. Today, a mall spokesperson confirmed that Dairy Queen has permanently closed. 

Psycho Bunny to open store at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Psycho Bunny will open at store at Westfield Montgomery Mall this fall. The New York-based men's apparel brand believes it invented the "perfect polo," and then went on to create an expansive line of t-shirts and shorts. Their products have been available at Nordstrom, but now they'll have their own dedicated space at the mall. Psycho Bunny has an existing store at Tysons Corner Center.

Honest Tea founder to return with Just Ice Tea

Seth Goldman, Bethesda resident and founder of Honest Tea, has hinted at a comeback, after Coca-Cola acquired but recently dropped it from its product line. This morning, Goldman revealed that his new beverage brand will be called Just Ice Tea. He said he will once again ground the new brand in the principles on which he founded Honest Tea: Fair Trade certification, reinvesting in workers' communities, and avoiding synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers. 

Minimal ingredients and sweeteners will be employed in the new flavors. Goldman tweeted that the new line of teas will appear on store shelves "in a few months." Montgomery County residents are looking forward to again seeing a local Bethesda address on their tea bottles before year's end.

One Medical opens in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

One Medical has opened at 7187 Woodmont Avenue in The Darcy condominum building in downtown Bethesda (although their website incorrectly states their location is in The Flats across the street). Their space was formerly home to PassionFish. The primary care practice is one of several new healthcare providers opening facilities in downtown Bethesda, including GW Immediate and Primary Care at Bethesda Row a block away.

Waiting room

The primary care clinic offers same-day appointments, 24/7 telehealth services and everything from basic health checkups to management of chronic illnesses. One Medical is open 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Their in-house laboratory is open 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:45 PM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. Annual membership starts at $199 a year.

Anine Bing, Mejuri to open stores at Bethesda Row

Mejuri, coming this fall to
Bethesda Row

Anine Bing and Mejuri are the two latest style additions to Bethesda Row. Both brands will open stores at the Federal Realty development this fall, the property owner announced this afternoon. A storefront at 7247 Woodmont Avenue, recently vacated by Philz Coffee, will be divided into two new retail spaces to accommodate Anine Bing and Mejuri.

Anine Bing was founded in Los Angeles in 2012 by Bing, a blogger, model and vocalist. The brand fuses "Scandanavian simplicity and American energy." Their apparel line balances wardrobe essentials with higher-end pieces viewed as investment garments. Anine Bing is for "modern women seeking a timeless yet rebellious approach to style," the Federal Realty statement says.  “Bethesda Row’s sophisticated retail scene is the perfect spot for our first foray into the Washington, DC metro region,” Bing herself said in a statement today.

Anine Bing

Jewelry brand Mejuri has a following among high-profile celebrities like Selena Gomez, Lizzo, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Oprah Winfrey, Bella Hadid, Emily Blunt and Margot Robbie. A strong presence in Instagram marketing, Mejuri updates its collections weekly. It is known for its "Monday drops" of new pieces, and they often sell out quickly.

"For more than 25 years we have delivered best-in-class retail and restaurants to this storied neighborhood,” Stuart Biel, Senior Vice President, Regional Leasing – Federal Realty said in a statement. “We are thrilled for our newest boutiques Mejuri and Anine Bing, which will add to Bethesda Row for the years to come.”   

Photos courtesy Mejuri, Anine Bing

Hans Riemer TV ad makes closing argument he is the "Best Guy" for Montgomery County Executive

Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer (D - At Large) is launching an ad blitz on cable, streaming services, and - tomorrow - broadcast television, to make the closing argument that he is the "best guy" to serve as Montgomery County Executive. Interspersed with scenes of Riemer with family and meeting constituents around the county, the ad takes some sharp swipes at his opponents in the July 19 Democratic primary, businessman David Blair and incumbent County Executive Marc Elrich.

"Blair's tryin' to buy it," the narrator says over an image of a business-suited Blair, who has spent record amounts of his own money in his two campaigns for the executive seat. According to The Washington Post, Blair has spent $2.5 million on this year's campaign, and dropped $5.4 million in his 2018 run in which he lost to Elrich by only 77 votes. The most expensive County-level campaigns in history earn him a "Rich Guy Blair" moniker in Riemer's ad.

"Current Guy" Elrich let bars stay open late, while schools were forced to stay closed, the ad recalls from recent pandemic history. The spot hones in on education issues through the narrative that Riemer is the only executive candidate with children in County public schools, that he will support univeral pre-K. Riemer will keep schools open, the narrator promises, while providing mental health services to address the widely-acknowledged impact of the pandemic and closures on children. Elrich is also criticized in the ad for blocking forced vaccinations for County employees.

Riemer, the ad concludes, is the "Best Guy" for the job. "Good thing we've got Hans Riemer," the narrator states, as a quote from the Post is superimposed on the screen citing Riemer as a "principled...progressive leader."

The Post, as many expected, once again endorsed Blair. But its endorsement editorial was also effusive in praise of Riemer, and notably did not criticize him, weakening its argument for Blair in the context that both men are neck-and-neck in what little polling has been done. The Post has had incredible sway over Democratic voters since it was purchased by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos; prior to Bezos' acquisition, voters had often ignored the Post's endorsements. While the harshly anti-labor editorial board's Ahab-like pursuit of its nemesis Elrich fell short in 2018, the razor-thin margin again showed the grip the Post now has on many voters. When the Post editorial board says, "Jump!" a surprising number of voters these days ask, "How high?"

Along with the question of the Post's influence on the election result will be the impact of Republican and independent voters who plan to vote in this Democratic primary. An informal movement in 2018 has become more organized in 2022, and has been given a push by backers of Blair, a former Republican himself. Switch to the Democratic Party for July, then switch back to GOP or independent affiliation in August, voters are being told online. The suggestion has been appealing this time around for many public and private school parents furious over pandemic school closures, and County interference in the operations of private schools during that period.

Polling has suggested these party-switching voters are currently splitting their vote between Blair and Riemer. Elrich - the most popular politician in Montgomery County by total votes over the years - appears to be retaining his base of progressives and residents concerned about the overwhelming influence of developers on County zoning and planning decisions, such as the controversial Thrive 2050 plan, which would allow replacement of single-family houses with duplexes, triplexes and small apartment buildings.

The ad buy is critical for Riemer. Blair has been hitting the local TV airwaves hard for several weeks. Riemer's campaign feels it is in a good position to respond now, with a $1 million fundraising haul comprised of small donors and corresponding public financing.

“Our campaign plan is right on schedule. I’m confident that voters will pick Hans when introduced to him in what’s clearly a three way race,“ Riemer campaign manager Aziz Yakub said in a statement. “David Blair has $6 million and Marc Elrich has insider special interest groups. We have people power and motivated voters, and that will matter most on July 19th.” Upcounty businessman Peter James is also running in the Democratic primary. Early voting begins July 7.

Donald Trump phones in to rally for GOP Maryland governor candidate Dan Cox

Maryland governor hopeful Delegate Dan Cox (R) got an assist from his highest-profile endorser, President Donald Trump, at a rally this past weekend in Carroll County. "We're going to get rid of the stench of Larry Hogan," Trump vowed to rallygoers by speakerphone, referring to the current Maryland governor, who has been one of the most prominent never-Trump Republicans in America over the last six years. Hogan was again on Trump's mind, as he praised Cox as his choice over Hogan-endorsed Kelly Schulz in the contest.

"Dan is MAGA all the way and I say that very strongly," Trump said on the call, "unlike his opponent named Kelly Schulz who is, along with Larry Hogan, bad news. And I'll tell you, Larry Hogan is bad news. He's a RINO." Trump promised that Cox would do "a full forensic audit" of the 2020 election, and cut taxes and regulations. "I’ve known Dan for awhile and he’s a great, highly respected lawyer, he’s tough and smart, and as a businessman very successful. He fought really hard to expose the 2020 election scam," Trump added.

Trump also praised Cox's running mate, Gordana Schifanelli, calling her "fantastic," and the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano, who was the headlining guest of the rally. He also complimented the boisterous crowd, who chanted, "Trump, Trump, Trump!"

"Go out and get Dan Cox elected," Trump exhorted attendees at the Hampstead rally. "You’ve got to go out and you’ve got to vote for Dan Cox. I love you all and Dan, to Dan I say, you’re a great, courageous patriot, you’re going to win, and you’re going to win big." “It was a tremendous honor to host the President of the United States at my campaign Rally via live telephone," Cox said in a statement, "and once again President Trump provided a momentous point in our campaign." Former delegate Robin Ficker and attorney Joe Werner are also running for the GOP nomination in the July 19 primary. Early voting begins July 7.

Photo via WhiteHouse.gov

Furniture arrives at new Marriott HQ lobby in Bethesda (Photos)

The furniture for the expansive lobby at the new Marriott International headquarters at 7750 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda has arrived. Some is in position already, others are lined up awaiting placement, or under plastic wrap. Much of it is decidedly modern in style. The first Marriott employees are anticipated to arrive in the building next month from the existing North Bethesda Marriott HQ.

Construction begins on GW Immediate and Primary Care clinic at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Construction is now underway on the future GW Immediate and Primary Care clinic on Arlington Road at Bethesda Row. The clinic will be staffed by personnel from The GW Medical Faculty Associates, a non-profit medical group spun off from George Washington University in 2000. As the name suggests, it provides typical urgent care services, as well as long-term primary care. It currently has three clinics in Washington, D.C., located in Cleveland Park, McPherson Square, and near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station.