Ruta Ukrainian restaurant opening in Bethesda

Ruta, a Ukrainian restaurant at 327 7th Street SE in Washington, D.C., is expanding to Bethesda. Their logo is now being applied to an exterior wall at 4862 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. This was formerly home to MOMO Chicken + Jazz. Construction on the new restaurant began about two and a half weeks ago. In an area with no options for a full menu of Ukrainian, Eastern European or Russian cuisine, this is a welcome development.

Strong-arm robbery in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in downtown Bethesda Sunday night, April 28, 2024. The robbery was reported at a business in the 7000 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 7:56 PM Sunday. 

The Block food hall closes at Pike & Rose

The Block, the Asian food hall at 967 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose, has closed. Reduced hours and departing tenants had already reduced business at the venue. The closure was first reported by The MoCo Show. In March, Store Reporter noted that property owner Federal Realty had removed The Block from its leasing map. Vendors told MoCo360 that the food hall might close at the end of the month.

Sign installed at Solaire 7607 Old Georgetown apartment tower in Bethesda

The permanent sign is now up at the Solaire 7607 Old Georgetown apartment tower in downtown Bethesda. It is directly over an entrance to the new building, the latest in Washington Property Company's Solaire portfolio of apartment developments in Montgomery County. 

There's probably a fire code reason why the red FDC sign and water connections are in that specific spot to the left of the door, but it's rather unfortunate from an aesthetic and design standpoint, as they stick out like a sore thumb. The building recently opened, and we are awaiting the posting of the first residents' early online reviews of the tower.

Pricing shows that residential housing continues to remain detached from market forces in Montgomery County. Despite two decades of promises that relentless construction will reduce rents, 1-bedrooms here start at $2,592, and 2-bedrooms at $3,603, according to Apartments.com. The official website is currently offering 2 months of free rent, if you sign a 13-month lease, and move in by May 31, 2024.

Assault at store in Friendship Heights

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a store in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase early Friday afternoon, April 26, 2024. The assault was reported at a store in the 5400 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 12:16 PM Friday. An individual was also accused of theft in the same incident.

Rooftop amenity under construction at Wisconsin Place in Friendship Heights

A construction project to add a rooftop amenity to the Wisconsin Place development in Friendship Heights is well underway. Property owner BXP is creating a rooftop terrace for use by tenants of its office building, among other upgrades to increase marketability of the office space in the working-from-home era. 

It is located on top of the low-rise Shops at Wisconsin Place building adjacent to the office tower. The terrace will include a kitchen and canopy seating areas, and can be programmed for work or leisure uses, according to a BXP press release. Construction is anticipated to conclude this spring.

Shuttered Foxtrot still fully-stocked at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Foxtrot Market abruptly closed all of its stores last week, including the Bethesda Row location at 7262 Woodmont Avenue. But as of last evening, the Bethesda store is still fully stocked with packaged foods and merchandise like t-shirts. This may be in part because the chain laid off its employees with equally-short notice when the closure announcement was made last Tuesday. Will the chain retrieve its equipment, furniture and inventory, or will landlords across America recoup some of the unpaid rent by seizing it and locking Foxtrot out?

Montgomery County firefighter among 226 to be honored at National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

A former Montgomery County firefighter will be among 226 fallen firefighters to be honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Maryland on May 4 and 5, 2024. Master Firefighter Mark R. Fisher Jr. passed away on July 24, 2014 from illness related to his response to the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Fisher was also a member of the Maryland Task Force One Urban Search and Rescue Team, with whom he responded to other disasters, including Hurricane Katrina. He was with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service for 22 years, and also served as an instructor for the department. 

Fisher was a member of the Johnny Swamper Club, Frederick Elks Lodge No. 684, and the Loyal Order of the Moose No. 948 in Charles Town, West Virginia, and a life member of the United Steam Fire Engine Company, No. 3 Frederick. He left behind a wife, three children and five grandchildren. Fisher briefly played pro football with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was 59 years old at the time of his passing.

Two main events will be held on the memorial weekend at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park in Emmitsburg. The National Fallen Firefighters Candlelight Service will be held on May 4 at 7:30 pm ET, hosted by Fire Captain Garon Mosby of the St. Louis Fire Department. The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service is on May 5 at 10:00 am ET, and will be hosted by actor Jeremy Holm. Both events are open to the public, but will also be streamed online live for those who cannot attend in person.

EYA Westbard trailers get makeover in Bethesda (Photos)

The EYA trailers placed at the construction site for The Brownstones at Westbard Square townhome development are getting a makeover to update them for the project at hand. Promotional wraps for the company's Tysons Ridge development were removed earlier this month, shortly after the trailers arrived on-site. Now branding for the Westbard development is being added. Maybe something more will be added to that large, blank panel on the right side of the door. The Brownstones at Westbard New Home Advisors are gearing up to begin welcoming prospective residents to the sales office next month.

Security Public Storage broken into again in Bethesda

Security Public Storage at 5223 River Road in Bethesda has been burglarized for the second time in as many months. The latest break-in was reported early Wednesday afternoon, April 24, 2024 at 12:53 PM. Last month, a break-in was reported at the facility on March 2. 

Ssong's Hotdog closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Ssong's Hotdog has permanently closed in the Dining Terrace food court in Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Korean hot dog vendor was closed last evening, and the menu screens had been removed. A calendar behind the counter is still set on March. A Ssong's Hotdog spokesperson confirmed this afternoon that the Bethesda location has closed. Their other Maryland locations remain open, he said, including Columbia, The Hub Asian Food Hall in Catonsville, and Towson. Disappointing news, as these were great hot dogs, and the design of the branded packaging was well done.

Assault at downtown Bethesda restaurant

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a restaurant in downtown Bethesda on Monday afternoon, April 22, 2024. The assault was reported at a restaurant in the 7100 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 4:13 PM Monday. True Food Kitchen is located on that block.

Brio's Chicken now open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Brio's Chicken has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Peruvian charcoal chicken restaurant is located in the former Tara Thai space, on the upper level of the parking deck outside the Nordstrom wing. Tara Thai closed there just over a year ago. 

It seemed like an ideal spot for a new chain restaurant like Olive Garden or Texas Roadhouse, or any of the other brands ubiquitous nationwide, but bizarrely missing from Montgomery County. Much like Walmart (with the exception of the Germantown store that was built before the chain was banned by the County Council) and Cracker Barrel, you can drive in any direction out of Montgomery County and find these chains in the surrounding counties, and every few miles as far as you keep driving across the nation - - but not here. Truly nutty, and utterly embarrassing for our elected officials, even if the local press won't call them on the carpet for it. Surely there's a Maura Judkis article to be written, albeit filled with snarky, elitist swipes at those who derive enjoyment from unlimited bread sticks.

Westfield has chosen to go local again in this space with Brio's, an admirable trend we've seen at the mall in recent years, although many of those tenants have been short-lived. In contrast, The Cheesecake Factory has been a huge success. A pretty solid market for Latin American chicken has been established in Montgomery County, however, with the growth of chains like Don Pollo and Pollo Campero, so there is promise here as Brio's opens.

There's no functioning website for Brio's as of this writing, and their Facebook page is spartan in information. Their Google listing states, "At Brio's Chicken, we pride ourselves on being an authentic Peruvian eatery, renowned for our specialty: succulent charcoal-grilled chicken. [C]ulinary passion brings the vibrant flavors of Peru to your plate, inviting you on a tantalizing journey through traditional Peruvian cuisine." Initial operating hours for Brio's at the mall are 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Saturdays, and 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Sundays, according to the schedule on the door.

Tower crane installed at 7340 Wisconsin Avenue construction site in Bethesda (Photos)

The tower crane has been erected at the 7340 Wisconsin Avenue construction site in downtown Bethesda. It's ready to do the heavy lifting for the redevelopment of the former Exxon gas station property. The future high-rise building will include 315,000 gross square feet of development, 300 to 308 residential units, ground floor retail, and around 158 parking spaces. Greystar is the developer, SK+I Architecture of Bethesda is the architecture firm, and John Moriarty & Associates is the main construction contractor.

Foxtrot closes at Bethesda Row, all locations nationwide

Foxtrot Market has closed all of its locations nationwide, including its store at 7262 Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row. The sudden closure Tuesday stunned employees and customers alike. Even the closing announcement had harsh, Wall Street corporate vibes, with identical Xeroxesque farewell messages taped to the windows at seemingly every location. Around 1000 people are now unemployed, and as for those earned customer rewards..."NOOO!"

There's no indication that the Bethesda store was in trouble, but in an inflation-wracked economy where even dollar stores are struggling, there may not have been a large nationwide audience for a Bloomingdales convenience store at this time. Foxtrot opened at Bethesda Row in November 2022. This was the original Mussel Bar space, and now it's opening up just a few weeks after Mussel Bar announced its return at a new spot in the Woodmont Triangle. "Doh!"

Gordon Gekko emailing these out
from the boardroom in Chicago

1to1 Fitness coming soon to Westbard Square in Bethesda

1to1 Fitness is the latest tenant to sign on at the new Westbard Square development at 5400 Westbard Avenue in Bethesda. Way back when redevelopment plans were first proposed for the Westwood Shopping Center by developer Equity One, a large national-chain gym was rumored to be one of the tenants lined up. That original plan did not come to pass, and developer Regency Centers ultimately received approval from Montgomery County for a slightly-scaled-down redevelopment proposal.

Now you'll still have a chance to work out at Westbard Square, but it will be more of a one-on-one, personal trainer experience with 1to1 Fitness. Many people may prefer that individualized attention and format. On-site and virtual training options will be available, as well as nutrition coaching. 

Your exercise plan will be tailored to you, your goals, your schedule and your medical history. This will be 1to1's second Montgomery County location, with the first already open in Potomac. "We are looking forward to helping the Bethesda community achieve their health and fitness goals!" 1to1 Fitness said in a comment on Facebook.

Photo courtesy Regency Centers/1to1 Fitness

2 Bethesda Metro Center celebrates completion of major updates, repositioning of property

A major, $25 million update to the iconic 2 Bethesda Metro Center office tower in downtown Bethesda is complete, and owner Chevy Chase Land Co. will be celebrating the repositioning of the property in a challenging office market this week. Major changes and improvements included the relocation of the main entrance, a new building facade, a new amenity pavilion behind the building that can be reached via an all-weather covered walkway, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a yoga studio, locker rooms, and a 20-person-capacity conference center with a tenant lounge, kitchen and pool table.

2 Bethesda Metro Center now also provides tenants with access to Chevy Chase Land Co.'s branded shared-amenity program, Ascend. The program gives tenants access to a wide range of services, events, and networking opportunities across multiple properties across the Washington, D.C. metro area. Ascend offers physical and social amenities that used to be offsite-only, or that required advance planning.

"As our team has been committed to providing a customized worklife experience for our tenants, we are now launching The Chevy Chase Land Company’s exclusive shared amenity program, Ascend, across our office portfolio," Chevy Chase Land Co. CEO John Ziegenhein said in a statement. "Plugging this into the day-to-day work rhythm empowers employees because it promotes creativity, wellness, and collaboration. Every aspect of Ascend spaces are crafted to elevate performance and satisfaction. With our hospitality-driven concierge staff, much of this is managed for our tenants – a win-win for everyone."

"It’s a new day at 2 Bethesda Metro," said Jason Winans, Executive Vice-President of Asset Management, The Chevy Chase Land Company. "We have significantly reimagined this property from the relocated entrance to the state-of-the-art amenity pavilion, inclusive of an expansive rooftop deck, 20-person conference room, tenant lounge with pool table, and fitness center. Not to mention our outdoor tiered plaza that is perfect for morning coffee meetings, noon lunches, and evening gatherings."

Peter Rosan, a broker with Cushman & Wakefield, said the property upgrades and amenities have positioned 2 Bethesda Metro Center to appeal to potential tenants needing large or small office spaces.  "This location, just steps away from Bethesda Row, is unparalleled for both the local employee who wants to walk, bike, or take a short drive to the office, as well as Metro commuters who can enjoy the door-to-door benefit of arriving undercover directly into 2 Bethesda Metro," Rosan noted.

Chevy Chase Land Co. will officially unveil the property improvements at an event tomorrow, April 24, 2024.

Photos courtesy Chevy Chase Land Co.

Cherry Blossom Tea at Woman's Club of Chevy Chase April 28, 2024

Join the Woman's Club of Chevy Chase this coming Sunday, April 28, 2024, for their annual Cherry Blossom Tea. The tea will be held at the clubhouse at 7931 Connecticut Avenue from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. There is no charge for guests, and you will have an opportunity to learn about all of the charitable and community-building work and events the historic club is engaged in. Hats are encouraged, but optional. RSVP online, or contact Gloria Crowley at glowormtwo@gmail.com. Free parking is available in the lot behind the clubhouse.