Fence broken by intruders at vacant Bethesda property repaired

The "security" fence around the property at 8008 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda was repaired yesterday. One or more intruders smashed the fence and crushed it downward to illegally gain access to the vacant buildings there earlier this week. Vagrants and vandals have repeatedly broken into the vacant storefronts at 8008 and 8000 Wisconsin Avenue, as well as the "beer house" behind them at the corner of Cordell and Woodmont Avenues. 

The buildings and lots in question have become eyesores, a danger and a public nuisance while the 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin redevelopment projects have repeatedly stalled out over the last decade. A fire and flood were started in one of the buildings by intruders this past fall. Montgomery County is apparently unwilling or unable to exercise control of the situation.

Intruders are back inside vacant Bethesda buildings

Intruders have once again broken into the row of vacant storefronts between 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. A fire and flood caused by a burglar inside one of the buildings a few months ago, along with a rampage of window smashing on the block, led to a moderately-stronger attempt to secure the properties. Alas, the most noticeable intrusion since then has occurred during the Christmas holiday. A portion of the security fence was damaged on the Cordell Avenue side of the property to gain access to the site. The situation has been caused by major delays in the two redevelopment projects planned for 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin; the developer of the 8000 site recently acquired the 8008 property from Toll Brothers, but groundbreaking for the Artena Bethesda tower at 8000 Wisconsin has again stalled out despite demolition permits being pulled for that portion of the block.

Artena Bethesda developer acquires adjacent 8008 Wisconsin property from Toll Brothers

Newly-acquired 8008 Wisconsin property is
outlined in red; total land area now 
controlled by Aksoylu Properties is
designated in blue

Toll Brothers has made no public announcement as of this morning, but the homebuilding giant has sold its 8008 Wisconsin Avenue property to Aksoylu Properties, the real estate firm that owns the adjacent 8000 Wisconsin lot in downtown Bethesda. Aksoylu has been gearing up to break ground on its long-delayed Artena Bethesda project on that assembled site. Now it also has control of the property next door, which is about half the size of the 8000 Wisconsin lot. Alas, it would be very expensive at this late stage to throw out its approved Artena preliminary, sketch and site plans to reimagine the Artena as a much larger development.

Of course, that cost might be offset by both the additional residential and retail units that would come with a larger project, along with the massive savings of being able to excavate and construct on both lots using the same contractors at the same time. Aksoylu also has the option of going forward with the Artena, and using the newly-acquired 8008 land as a staging area for construction. The sale closed October 31, 2023, according to state real estate records. Aksoylu paid Toll Brothers $9,125,000 for the property.

Break-ins resume at vacant Bethesda retail buildings

Vandals, burglars and vagrants just can't resist the temptation of breaking into the vacant retail buildings left rotting by the long-delayed 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin Avenue redevelopment projects. A fire and flood inside the former Parvizian rug building a couple of weeks ago led to many of these eyesore structures being boarded up. But yesterday, there was visible evidence that someone smashed their way back inside the Parvizian building, carefully jamming the pieces of the broken plywood back into the door frame.

It can't be ruled out that the intruder(s) might still be in there, as vagrants have squatted in the structures here before. The buildings have had demolition notices on them for years, but never get torn down. Meanwhile, the full half-block of blight weighs down the upscale chocolate shop, Trader Joe's grocery store, and luxury apartments directly adjacent to the deteriorating lots. In fact, the lobby entrance door to those new 8001 Woodmont apartments was shattered during that recent window smashing rampage at 8000 Wisconsin next door.

More vacant buildings boarded up in Bethesda (Photos)

Clearly someone has had enough of the break-ins, vandalism and squatting in the vacant buildings of the Woodmont Triangle. It's not yet clear who that is - the property owners, the police, or Montgomery County government officials (although it's hard to believe it's the property owners, as they haven't secured these buildings adequately for years). But someone has finally ordered the buildings on the sites of 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin Avenue to be boarded up, following Monday's burglary-fire-flood incident that followed Sunday's glass-smashing rampage on the block. Yesterday, lower rear windows and doors of the Saphire Cafe and Parvizian Rugs were sealed, and plywood was placed inside the windows of 8011 Woodmont Avenue.

The front porch of the abandoned Dunmor's (a.k.a. the "beer house") at 8013 Woodmont has recently become a hangout spot, complete with tables and chairs. Yesterday, that furniture was removed, and access to the porch and porch steps was physically blocked off. These buildings are still eyesores and create an abysmal pedestrian environment around that whole half block of Woodmont, Cordell and Wisconsin Avenues. 

Redevelopment projects planned for both sites - 8000 Wisconsin and 8008 Wisconsin - have been in development hell for about 6 years, but the Artena Bethesda project at 8000 Wisconsin had been expected to finally break ground before the end of this year. Public Parking Lot 43 on the 8000 Wisconsin site's Woodmont Avenue side (seen in the top two photos in this article) was closed earlier this summer for that express purpose. Stay classy, Bethesda!

More "signs" construction of Artena Bethesda is about to begin

More "signs' that construction of the long-delayed Artena Bethesda development is about to begin have appeared at the rear of the 8000 Wisconsin Avenue property, on Woodmont Avenue. After demolition permit requests appeared on the Saphire Cafe building, and the public parking lot on Woodmont Avenue closed to the public, now a couple of Clark Construction signs have been erected inside the fencing around the parking lot. The Aksoylu Properties development has been in the works since at least 2017.

Artena Bethesda development lot assembly on Planning Board agenda for June 1

A number of long-delayed projects in downtown Bethesda continue to spring back to life as the month ends. The latest move on the Artena Bethesda mixed-use development at 8000 Wisconsin Avenue will be about 48 hours from now, on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 9:00 AM. That's when the Montgomery County Planning Board will review and vote on a final record plat for the Artena site, which will assemble 7938-8000 Wisconsin (Saphire Cafe and Golden Needle tailoring shop), 8011 Woodmont Avenue (Sir Walter Raleigh Inn/Bruce Variety), and Montgomery County Public Parking Lot 43 on Woodmont. 

The parking lot is due to permanently close about a week after Thursday's Planning Board vote. Planning Board staff are recommending approval of the plat. The Artena Bethesda site plan has already been approved by Montgomery County. This is a formality, like the previous request for demolition permits, before work can finally begin on the project. But the public is allowed to testify at Thursday's public hearing.

8000 Wisconsin project aiming for 2021 delivery in Bethesda

The developer partners for the 8000 Wisconsin project held a public meeting last night in advance of their expected submission of Preliminary and Site plans to Montgomery County in the next two weeks. Based on feedback from the Bethesda Design Advisory Panel, they are working with the neighboring property owners (JBG Smith and Toll Brothers City Living) to coordinate their building's design with the adjacent redevelopment projects (7900 Wisconsin and 8008 Wisconsin, respectively).

View of the Artena Bethesda from
an office in the Landow Building

The Artena Bethesda will have 441 rental units, 25% of which will be MPDUs. Units will be primarily 1 or 2 bedrooms, with a few 3-bedrooms mixed in. Artena's ground floor will boast 20000 SF of retail and restaurant space, and an underground garage will hold about 300 parking spaces. The only significant open space is an elevated courtyard for residents, which will be at about the height of Bethesda Chocolates' building roofline next door. None of the three developers on this block was successful in acquiring the Bethesda Chocolates building, despite trying their darnedest.

Surprisingly, even with significant retail space, the plans for resident-targeted tenants like dry cleaners and coffee shops doesn't sound very ambitious. 7900 Wisconsin next door will be anchored by a Trader Joe's grocery store. Considering that store is only 13000 SF, the Wisconsin-facing retail space is more than enough for an urban grocery store, or for two sit-down restaurants.

View from St. Elmo Avenue

Attorney Bob Dalrymple predicted a public hearing on the Artena could be held by the Planning Board in November or December of this year. Demolition of the existing structures on the site (which stretches to Woodmont Avenue, as do the Toll Brothers and JBG Smith projects) is expected to begin in 2019. A two-year construction schedule would mean a 2021 delivery of the project.

View from Woodmont Avenue

Elevated courtyard in green

Wisconsin Avenue frontage

Height diagram

Red is retail

View from corner of Cordell Avenue and
Woodmont Avenue

Public meeting scheduled for 8000 Wisconsin project in downtown Bethesda

The developers of 8000 Wisconsin Avenue are preparing to submit their preliminary and site plans to Montgomery County for review. A required pre-submission meeting on the plans will be held on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at 7:00 PM at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, Conference Room West A, at 4805 Edgemoor Lane.

Known as the Artena Bethesda, the project doesn't appear to have changed since it was first unveiled in November 2017. It will still include up to 441 residential units, and 20000 SF of retail and restaurant space. The building will be jammed between Toll Brothers City Living's 8008 Wisconsin project, and JGB Smith's 7900 Wisconsin development, the latter of which is well underway in construction.

8000 Wisconsin Avenue redevelopment moving forward

A major development project is being proposed for property assembled as 8000 Wisconsin Avenue. This will be between the future Toll Brothers 8008 Wisconsin condo building and JBG Smith's 7900 Wisconsin project. The development will include up to 460 residential units, and up to 25000 SF of retail and restaurant space. Maximum height for the property is 175'. Plank, Inc. is the owner, which is a shell company for S.S. Papadopulos, according to real estate records.

A required public meeting will be held on Thursday, November 16, 2017, at 7:00 PM at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, in Room D.