WSSC repairs downtown Bethesda water main break ahead of snowstorm

Water utility WSSC finally got around to addressing the water main break at the intersection of Arlington Road and Bethesda Avenue last night, as the area prepares for another shift in temperatures this weekend. The water main rupture first became apparent last Monday night, December 30, 2024. A WSSC crew got to it just in time last evening, as the plunging temperature threatened to turn the pooling water at the intersection into ice. Expect more water main breaks this weekend, as we go from the twenties back up to a high of 36 degrees on Sunday, prior to the snowstorm arriving Sunday night.

See's Candies closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

See's Candies has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Their space has been cleared out, although they left an odd artwork at the back of the store. Christmas is not officially over yet, as it ends on the Epiphany feast of January 6 or on Candlemas on February 2, depending on how you count it. But we can agree that the holiday gift-buying season is over, so seasonal tenant See's Candies departs for another year.

Maryland 2025 utility bills increase under Wes Moore, MD Gen. Assembly plan

"We helped lower utility bills," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) declared in a New Year's Eve video recapping the 2024 legislative "accomplishments" of his office and colleagues in the Maryland General Assembly. As Maryland utility customers are beginning to realize as 2025 begins, Moore lied. Pepco has just informed customers that, beginning this month, their electric bills will be increasing by at least 5%. The reasons? Laws passed by our elected officials in Annapolis.

While our elected officials try to hide new taxes and fees by having businesses collect them, such as bag taxes, Pepco has been upfront in their billing communications about government being the reason for the new charges and increases. In their message to customers, Pepco cites the new "EmPOWER MD" surcharge of 4% that was rammed through the legislature and signed by Moore in 2023. Moore and those in the legislature who supported the increased surcharge to energy utilities knew full well that the amount would be passed on directly to utility customers. This is theft, not "efficiency."

A second reason Pepco cites is that it is facing a 1% increase in its supply costs, a direct result of "supply and demand by generator plants." Why is the supply of electricity down? Because the same Maryland legislature has ordered the closure of not one, not two, but eight coal-fired power stations across the state over the last 13 years. With AI, data centers, and electric vehicles contributing to an all-time high in energy demands, Maryland is trending in the opposite direction of dwindling supply and rising costs.

In claiming to have lowered residents' utility bills, Gov. Moore lied. His claim would earn Four Pinocchios, if The Washington Post were to fact check our local elected officials' frequent false claims. They don't. Kudos to Pepco for telling the truth.

Bon Venue to replace Claire Dratch in Bethesda

Upscale event venues appear to be the first trend to emerge in Bethesda for the year 2025. The Cordell is soon to open at 4865 Cordell Avenue. Now it is revealed that the secretive demolition and construction project at the former Claire Dratch building at 7615 Wisconsin Avenue is also an event venue. Bon Venue will be a two-level space, with the second level largely being an open rooftop. A dizzying virtual tour on the Bon Venue website places you in the center of a cocktail party/happy hour-style event, and Wisconsin Avenue traffic can be seen rushing past below through a large window wall at the west end of the rooftop deck.

Bon Venue will be "dedicated to creating extraordinary experience by providing a versatile and elegant space for every occasion," the website states. "Whether it is a wedding, corporate event, or social gathering, we deliver unparalleled service, meticulous attention to detail, and a warm welcome atmosphere. Our mission is to transform moments into lasting memories, ensuring every guest feels celebrated and inspired.” The space is scheduled to open in early 2025.

The former Claire Dratch building was gutted in early November 2024, as seen in these photos. A construction permit posted at the site described the new use as being a banquet hall, but did not list the name of the business, which as of this morning we now know is Bon Venue.

The Velvet Room coming soon to Bethesda

The Velvet Room is coming soon to 8020 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda. A bar with karaoke, The Velvet Room is anticipated to open in February 2025. Operating hours will be 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM, seven days a week. First, however, the space has to be converted from its current retail use, so we will see if the target opening timeline holds. 

White Flint Mall parking lot leased by motorcycle safety school

The Dark Side of White Flint, Part 50

Welcome to The Dark Side of White Flint, an ongoing series about the not-so-wonnerful, wonnerful, wonnerful side of urbanizing the suburbs of Montgomery County.

Nature may have reclaimed much of the former site of White Flint Mall at 11301 Rockville Pike, but its fenced-off parking lot has just been claimed by a motorcycle safety school. Motorcycle Safety Academy plans to host safety and training courses on the lot, with the first one scheduled to begin March 22, 2025. Additional courses may be added. 

Minus the island of Pike & Rose, which Federal Realty has singlehandedly steered to great success, the 2010 White Flint sector plan has been an unqualified failure more than a decade after its passage. The financial loss created by the destruction of White Flint Mall, although likely offset by developer-friendly tax breaks, is staggering. Think of all the retail sales, video games played, movies watched, and Cheesecake Factory meals consumed - and monthly tenant rents collected - that would have been racked up if the mall was still standing today. Doh!