Bethesda-based B.F. Saul has found an anchor tenant for the ground floor retail portion of its future Hampden House apartment tower at 7316 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Designer lighting retailer Visual Comfort & Co. has reached a lease agreement for the showcase storefront facing onto Wisconsin Avenue. The company has existing showrooms in our region in Baltimore, Georgetown and Richmond. Visual Comfort sells indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, as well as fans and gas lanterns.
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| Apple logo on renderings of the tower |
Pre-construction renderings of the building had sparked rumors that the Apple Store might be relocating to Hampden House, as an Apple logo was shown on the storefront, and interior blueprints resembled a two-level design employed at some larger Apple Store locations. It's quite unusual for a brand logo to be employed in renderings if the company in question hasn't been signed as a tenant.
The signing of Visual Comfort follows nearby neighbor Bethesda Row in another way, though, as that Federal Realty property has focused on upscale home goods and furnishings in recent years. Visual Comfort was founded in 1987 by Andy Singer, who recently merged his sister Gale's Circa Lighting into the company, making the firm a true family affair. Here are some photos from late-night construction at the tower, which will host 366 apartment units and 10,110-square-feet of retail space when completed.
3 comments:
Apple store possibly "relocating"? From the Montgomery Mall? Or somewhere else?
Obviously from the location two blocks away
I think some folks thought (and hoped) the smaller Bethesda Row Apple Store might move to a larger space in the new Hampden House tower, as the two story high space on Wisconsin looked very much like a prototypical Apple Store flagship in floor plan and in section, including a mezzanine. The Apple logo on the rendering by the architect seemed to imply that perhaps that might have been the plan, but instead we will be apparently getting a high-end chandelier store filled with glitzy brass and glass lights for MacMansion foyers in Chevy Chase.
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