Duck Duck Goose building gutted in Bethesda (Photos)

The former Duck Duck Goose restaurant space at 7929 Norfolk Avenue has been gutted for a future new tenant. As you can see in these photos, the interior has been stripped down to the walls and floor. The one-story 1962 building was acquired this past April by The Greenhill Companies of Bethesda, a major real estate firm with a vast portfolio of properties in Montgomery County. This includes a number of restaurant buildings in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood alone.

Bethesda restaurant building sold

One of the more-distinctive restaurant buildings in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood of downtown Bethesda has changed hands. 7929 Norfolk Avenue has been acquired by the Greenhill Companies of Bethesda, one of the major property holders in Montgomery County. The sale price is not yet known, as the transaction has not yet been recorded in Maryland's property database. It's almost certain to beat the price the last time the building was sold in 1989 for a mere $270,000. 

Alex Alperstein and Chris Vondas of Bethesda-based advisoRE LLC represented Greenhill as the Buyer Broker on the 7929 Norfolk transaction. The curved-facade, one-story building was constructed in 1962, and has been home most recently to Duck Duck Goose and Good Ducking Burger.

Bangkok Garden sale could pave way for major redevelopment of Lot 667 in Bethesda

I'm hearing that the property containing the recently-closed Bangkok Garden restaurant has been acquired by entities affiliated with the Greenhill Companies. That firm already owns the Lot 667 property adjacent to it, which includes 4901 Fairmont Avenue, 4905 Fairmont and 4909 Fairmont; and 4910 St. Elmo Avenue, and 4912 St. Elmo. A major redevelopment of that prime Woodmont Triangle site may now be in the works for the future, with the addition of 4906 St. Elmo, the Bangkok Garden property.

Lot 667 outlined in blue, with the
rumored addition of the
Bangkok Garden property included

From what I hear, this new building would encompass all of the land east of the Bainbridge Bethesda up to Norfolk Avenue, except for Hanaro Sushi, which is under separate ownership. What's currently rumored, is a high-rise with a height of 250' at the corner of Norfolk and Fairmont, that would step down to 173' along St. Elmo. It would hold around 330 apartments, and ground floor retail-restaurant spaces.

The good news about Hanaro staying in place is that there is the potential for an activated streetscape all the way around that end of the block. Hanaro is open relatively late, especially towards the end of the week. If desirable retail and restaurant tenants fill the ground floor of a new Lot 667 development around it, there would be a more pleasant pedestrian experience after business hours. Especially if the Bainbridge Bethesda can find a winning tenant for the Clove & Cedar space on St. Elmo, and with the St. Elmo Avenue Apartments being constructed west of the Bainbridge in the next few years.

Former Red Tomato Cafe demolished in Bethesda (Photos)

All that's left of the popular Red Tomato Cafe this morning is their old brick pizza oven. It stands amid the rubble of the restaurant, which was condemned after the building was damaged during excavation for the neighboring Bainbridge Bethesda luxury apartment tower.

You'll notice one wall remains standing, which means it is not technically a full demolition under Montgomery County code; in contrast, the old BCC Automotive facility adjacent to this had demolition permits posted.

This is part of the Lot 667 project by Greenhill Capital, which will transform an L-shaped collection of properties (old Fresh Grill and Dansez! Dansez building on Fairmont Avenue, and Red Tomato and BCC Automotive on St. Elmo Avenue - - renovation of 4901-A Fairmont has already been completed and is occupied by Tapabar and European Wax) into a new retail and restaurant center.

The project's design is by the local architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc.

European Wax Center teasing free preview week ahead of Bethesda opening (Photos)

New window screens at the future European Wax Center at 7804 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda are offering a free Preview Week of complimentary services. Sign up in advance online now, because there are a limited number of slots available.

European Wax Center will open this fall; stay tuned for an opening date.

New renderings for revamp of former Red Tomato Cafe building in Bethesda (Photos)

The architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc. has posted some new renderings of what the vacant Red Tomato Cafe building will look like after a renovation and repair by landlord Greenhill Capital. Outdoor dining space, and a more open facade are two of the main design elements.

Shell and core alterations, and an addition, will be part of the $750,000 project. This and several other buildings had to be vacated several years ago, when they were damaged by excavation on an adjacent property. The building is located at 4910 St. Elmo Avenue.

You can watch the entire slideshow online.

Rendering courtesy Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc.
All rights reserved

Coming soon signage for European Wax Center in Bethesda (Photos)

European Wax Center has posted Coming Soon signage for its future location at 7804 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda. This is a new storefront being constructed in the old BlackFinn nightclub building.

Bethesda construction update: Former BlackFinn building (Photos)

The former BlackFinn nightclub building at 4901 Fairmont Avenue has been gutted and reconfigured into smaller retail spaces. One will be home to De Tapas, a new small plates restaurant concept from the owners of Bold Bite around the corner. Another has been leased to European Wax Center, a waxing salon chain.

Work has come along substantially since my last update. You can see that the new facade design contains much more glass than the original.

Design for the new retail center was done by the local architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc. Sigal Construction is the contractor.

Renovation permits requested for former Fresh Grill building in Bethesda

Construction contractor Sigal Construction has filed for permits from Montgomery County to begin renovation and repair of the buildings at 4905 and 4909 Fairmont Avenue in Bethesda. They will be fixing structural damage blamed on nearby excavation, and revamping the buildings for future retail/restaurant tenants based on a plan developed by the architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc..

Former tenants Fresh Grill and Dansez! Dansez! were forced to vacate several years ago, when the building was condemned due to structural concerns. That led to a lengthy legal dispute, and the ultimate decision by property owner Greenhill Capital to remake its larger lot, "Lot 667", into a new retail-restaurant (and possibly office) complex along Fairmont, Norfolk and St. Elmo Avenues.

Repair of Fresh Grill building to begin in Bethesda

Greenhill Capital has retained the architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc. to repair damage to its 4905 and 4909 Fairmont Avenue buildings, which once housed Fresh Grill and Dansez! Dansez!. The damage was caused "by an adjacent high rise building's deep foundation excavation operations," referring to the construction of the Bainbridge Bethesda luxury apartment tower next door. The damage, which led to a lengthy legal fight, was diagnosed in a prior report by Karr's firm.

The work will include foundation repairs, reconstruction of load-bearing masonry walls, and replacement of steel roof joists. In addition, alterations will be made to prepare the structures for tenants, and to repair and update the front facades. These changes are also in preparation for an extensive update to the entire Lot 667 property Greenhill owns, which has also been designed by Karr. That makeover is expected to reinvigorate several portions of Fairmont, and Norfolk and St. Elmo Avenues.

The estimated cost of the repairs is $500,000. Sigal Construction is the contractor, and the work is expected to be completed by May 2016.

De Tapas to open in Bethesda (Photos)

The brothers behind Bold Bite Burgers Half Smokes and Salads are venturing into small plates in their newest downtown Bethesda venture. De Tapas will open in one of the new storefronts being created out of the shell of the former BlackFinn Bethesda bar at 4901-A Fairmont Avenue.

Alonso and Alvaro Roche have leased the Greenhill Capital space facing Norfolk Avenue. Local architecture firm Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc. is designing a new street entrance for the restaurant, among other modifications to this and one other future storefront. The construction contractor for the $500,000 project will be Sigal Construction. As the signs suggest, a Spring 2016 opening is planned.

The brothers have only teased the concept by posting signage with the name, so it's too early to speculate if this will be a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant. Perhaps with their Venezuelan heritage, they might provide a new twist on the Spain-oriented concept already well-established at Jaleo and the nearby Guardado's. Stay tuned.

Domino's Pizza opening on St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda (Photos)

Greenhill Capital has once again brought a national brand to 4817 St. Elmo Avenue, a storefront that belonged to Quiznos before that toasted sandwich chain ran into financial difficulty. Domino's posted Coming Soon signage in the windows there on Friday.

Which raises an interesting question. Is the existing downtown Bethesda Domino's at 4957 Elm Street going to move over to St. Elmo? The two locations are only 5 blocks apart. Stay tuned.

An interim small business, GreenWICH, lasted barely 3 months in the space last year, so a solid and successful brand like Domino's should be a far more stable tenant.

Mural added to Lot 667 redevelopment plan on St. Elmo Ave. in Bethesda (Photos)

A paneled mural is the latest addition to the Greenhill Capital Lot 667 redevelopment plan, as part of the project's public space along St. Elmo Avenue. The lower-case "b"-shaped lot is bordered by St. Elmo, and Norfolk and Fairmont Avenues, in downtown Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle. It includes the former BlackFinn Bethesda nightclub building and current Bold Bite properties (4901-A/B Fairmont Avenue), the former Fresh Grill and Dansez! Dansez! building adjacent to those on Fairmont, and former BCC Automotive and Red Tomato Cafe structures on St. Elmo.

The redevelopment plan, created by the architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc., would add floors to some of the existing structures, delete one current vehicle driveway, and create new public space. Greenhill seeks to increase the maximum developable non-residential space on the site from 19,835 SF to 25,259 square feet. The Montgomery County Planning Board will take up the project at its September 17 meeting. Planning staff is recommending approval of the project.

Proposed public space on the site will be on both Fairmont and St. Elmo Avenues. A previous design rendering for public space on St. Elmo was shown on the SJKAIA, Inc. website, but the mural described in planning documents isn't shown in that earlier image. The latest blueprint-style rendering indicates that the mural will be on an existing wall of the Red Tomato Cafe building. Amenities will include landscaping, Bethesda Streetscape-standard brick pavers, a scored concrete surface, and chess/checkers tables.

An early design study did show a large mural on the Fairmont side, but that space was eliminated by a later design (it was where the vehicle entrance is off of Fairmont today). SJKAIA also designed a mural for a new retail building on Cordell Avenue, which has attracted a lot of attention for its New York via Las Vegas theme.

The driveway off of St. Elmo (depicted in the top image) will become the sole vehicle access for deliveries and trash removal, creating a better walking environment for pedestrians and a more unified design. Located within the urban parking lot district, Lot 667 does not have to include parking in its design.

Here are new aerial/blueprint-style renderings of the proposed public spaces on Fairmont (901.67 SF) and St. Elmo (975.39 SF):

Renderings courtesy Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc.
All rights reserved

UFC Gym building getting a makeover in Bethesda

The building that most recently housed UFC Gym and L.A. Boxing on Cordell Avenue is getting an updated facade. About a week ago, I found a permit request to Montgomery County to add 5 windows to the building. Now I've found a bit more information on the project on the website of local architecture firm Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc., which is orchestrating a growing number of projects in downtown Bethesda.

SJKAIA has been hired by Greenhill Capital to design the window addition, which will also involve a code modification request related to Montgomery County fire code. I was not aware of this, but apparently, the proximity of your side wall to the property line determines how much of your wall can be "unprotected" - such as how many square feet can be taken up by glass. In the case of the UFC building, the 5 windows will be in the side wall.

The project is expected to be completed by October of this year.

BlackFinn Bethesda demolition update (Photos)

Demolition and reconfiguration of the interior of 4901-A Fairmont Avenue, the former home of BlackFinn Bethesda, continues. Under a redesign of Greenhill Capital's larger Lot 667 property by the architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc., the large structure's interior is being redivided to allow for multiple new retail storefronts.

The structural changes, additions and renovations also include the nearby former Fresh Grill and Dansez! Dansez! spaces on Fairmont Avenue, and the BCC Automotive and Red Tomato Cafe buildings on St. Elmo Avenue.

King Kong attacks in Bethesda! (Photos)

Watch out for a giant simian clutching a woman high above Cordell Avenue in downtown Bethesda. It's the infamous King Kong, who was revealed to the unsuspecting public when most of the scaffolding was removed in front of the new mural on the future restaurant space at 4848 Cordell Avenue.

Work continues on the interior, and a Greenhill Capital plaque has been installed outside.

The public art mural of New York City was inspired by the New York New York Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas, and is part of the redevelopment of this Greenhill property. A former homeless shelter, it is now planned for a currently-unnamed restaurant tenant. The renovations were designed by the architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc., and the contractor for the project is Sigal Construction.