Resurfacing of Hampden Lane underway in Bethesda

A resurfacing project is underway on Hampden Lane in downtown Bethesda between Bethesda Row and Arlington Road. The work crew was milling the street yesterday. Watch for lane closures and flagmen. If you have a new car or are concerned about scratches, you may want to avoid Hampden Lane at the moment.

Armed carjacking reported in downtown Bethesda (Video + Photos)

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in the 4900 block of Hampden Lane in downtown Bethesda at 7:33 PM on September 29, 2022. Multiple units were dispatched to an apartment building, and to the Huntington Learning Center, on Hampden. Radio communications indicated two black males in hoodies were last seen heading toward Wisconsin Avenue. Officers spent quite a bit of time carefully collecting evidence from an SUV parked in front of the Hampden Row condominiums.

Hampden East project meeting tonight

A virtual public meeting will be held regarding the Hampden East development project on Hampden Lane tonight, December 3, 2020 at 7:00 PM. Go to https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/624045741 to join the online meeting at that time. Hampden East will have 150 residential units in a 262' tower, with 10000 SF of ground floor retail and 350000 SF of office space.

Redevelopment of former Pines of Rome/Tommy Joe's/AOTA sites proposed in Bethesda

A long-expected redevelopment of most of a square block bounded by Wisconsin Avenue, East Lane Hampden and Montgomery Lanes in downtown Bethesda is finally moving forward. The gas station site along Wisconsin was recently proposed to be redeveloped as an assisted-living tower. Now the rest of the properties assembled over the last decade will be redeveloped as 500,000 SF of office space, residential housing with 17.6% affordable units, and retail/restaurant space with structured parking.

The properties in question are 4703-4719 Hampden Lane and 4714-4720 Montgomery Lane. Among the notable former tenants of these properties were Pines of Rome (now on Cordell Avenue), Tommy Joe's (now at the corner of Cordell and Norfolk Avenue) and the AOTA.

A required public meeting on the project, which could be up to 250' tall, will be held online on Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 7:30 PM at https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/453890637.

"Danger!" warning at Bethesda condo renovation

An 8-unit condominium building at 4909 Hampden Lane is being renovated. Unlike most property renovations, alarming "Danger!" signs are posted around the property. Such signs are usually more associated with flammables, chemicals or electric shock. These signs have the notation, "Contains Lead." Perhaps they are repainting, and the old paint contains lead? The venerable brick buildings are located next to the new Toll Brothers City Living Hampden Row property, and The Lauren, two of the most-expensive condo properties in town.

Turn it back on, man! (Photos)

Pepco finally found Hampden Lane on Monday - perhaps they borrowed the GPS unit carpetbagging Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer uses to find his way around the unfamiliar county. Power had been out on both sides of the Shoppes of Bethesda since a windstorm lashed the area last Friday. Business owners lost tens of thousands of dollars in sales, with at least one eatery forced to throw out an entire inventory of food. There are 17 outages remaining in Bethesda and North Bethesda, including one reported to Pepco just last evening at 10:00 PM.

Hampden Lane pedestrian safety project underway in Bethesda

Some rare good news for pedestrians in downtown Bethesda: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has begun a project to make the intersection of Hampden Lane and East Lane safer for pedestrians. They are installing curb bump-outs that reduce the walking distance between sides of the street for those crossing at crosswalks. New marked crosswalks will be painted, and ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps will be added.

The process began yesterday, and will take about two weeks to complete, MCDOT's Department of Highway Services says. During the project, the road will remain open. However, single lane closures and parking restrictions will be necessary at times. Work will be done during business hours on weekdays. Watch for signs and flagmen if driving up Hampden in the next two weeks.

This should make it easier and safer to walk from Bethesda Row to Pines of Rome...

BANG! Watch out for this totally-destroyed section of Arlington Rd. in Bethesda!

One of my Twitter followers tweeted an accurate description of the section of northbound Arlington Road near Hampden Lane yesterday. Not only does it have nasty, "third-world" potholes in it, but there is water from a mystery source pooling in the street in and around those potholes.

Is there an undetected water main break here?

Unfortunately, I drove through this before checking my Twitter feed Friday night. I somehow managed to steer around the worst, but I recommend you avoid this area until this disaster is fixed. In fact, the street looked even worse than it did in this photo approximately 2 hours later. I believe the water was deeper, as well.

Photo: @rachaelheisler/Twitter

BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: THE LAUREN ULTRA-LUXURY CONDOS (PHOTOS)

Even a $10.5 million penthouse has to start somewhere. At the future ultra-luxury condominium development known as The Lauren, that means excavating and building the underground parking garage first. Here are scenes from the latest progress at the site (at Hampden Lane and Woodmont Avenue), formerly home to The Hampden affordable apartments:

HAMPDEN LANE DEMOLITION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

The houses on Hampden Lane are gone. Demolition continues at the future site of the Toll Brothers City Living project, Hampden Row. If you look at the pictures below, you can get a sense of the footprint of the future condo building, between Arlington Road at one end, and the building by the yellow backhoe on the other.

DEMOLITION OF HOMES BEGINS AT FUTURE TOLL BROTHERS CONDO SITE IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Single-family homes that once lined the lower part of Hampden Lane near Arlington Road began to fall yesterday, clearing room for Hampden Row, an ultra-luxury condo development by Toll Brothers City Living.

DID YOU SEE THIS MISSING MAN ON HAMPDEN LANE IN BETHESDA YESTERDAY?

Montgomery County Police are seeking the public's help in locating a missing Rockville resident who was last seen on Hampden Lane in Bethesda yesterday. If you were in the Hampden Lane area Wednesday, and saw the man pictured above, you might be able to help police find him.

Police say they are concerned about the emotional and physical welfare of Jelani Kito Perry, 34, of the 800 block of Grand Champion Drive in Rockville. Perry is described by police as a black male, 6’ 1”, and 190 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes and a cross tattoo on his upper arm.  He was last seen wearing a blue and white checkered button-down shirt, blue jeans, and navy blue sneakers with white trim.

Authorities did not indicate the exact time at which Perry was believed to be in the Hampden Lane area yesterday.

Anyone with any information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the Montgomery County Police at 301-279-8000 (24 hour line).

HYPOTHETICAL BETHESDA BREWPUB COULD DRAW INTEREST IN HAMPDEN LANE SITE (PHOTO)

A spacious, two-level space at 4800 Hampden Lane awaits an ambitious restauranteur in downtown Bethesda. To spur interest, leasing agent Cushman and Wakefield has commissioned an architect's rendering of what the restaurant could look like. The fictional "Bethesda Brew" actually looks and sounds like it would be a draw on quiet Hampden Lane, which is scheduled to get a massive new neighbor up the block, the Bainbridge Wisconsin building. (Click photo above to enlarge for greater detail)

But the eventual tenant obviously is not required to open a brewpub. The space and bilevel design certainly would allow for more than the standard restaurant concept. Another great element is the fact that both levels have outdoor seating areas. Let's hope someone takes note of this spot for a potential restaurant, upscale Las Vegas-style nightclub or...brewpub.

Rendering courtesy Cushman and Wakefield
and
GTM Architects

FIRST LOOK: RENDERING OF HAMPDEN ROW CONDOS IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Here's a sneak preview of the future Toll Brothers City Living luxury condo building, Hampden Row, at the corner of Arlington Road and Hampden Lane in Bethesda. One interesting detail to note: the facade eerily resembles that of The Hampden, a garden apartment building about to be demolished further up Hampden Lane.

Hampden Row will have 55 condominiums, which will range from 1-3 bedrooms. The plan for the building to open for sale late this year doesn't sound very realistic at this point, however. They have not even broken ground yet, much less demolished the existing homes on the properties.

Rendering courtesy of Toll Brothers City Living
All rights reserved
Photos: Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row

TOLL BROS. REQUESTS REDUCTIONS IN UNITS, PARKING, REC SPACE FOR HAMPDEN ROW CONDOS

Exclusive

Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers is requesting reductions in its Hampden Row condominium approved site plan from the Montgomery County Planning Department. "Wait a minute... 'Approved site plan!?' I thought this thing was just announced," you might be saying. Apparently, the Toll Brothers City Living project for this Hampden Lane site is not originally theirs, but a revamp of a previous developer's plan, approved during the real estate bubble period.

Toll Md. IV, the applicant, is requesting a reduction in units from 60 to 55, a reduction in parking spaces from 88 to 69, and a trim of the building's recreational space to 6077 square feet.

According to a document filed by the applicant's attorney, Pat Harris, a more thorough preparation of building permit plans made clear that the proposed structure could not hold 60 units. The developer also believes the current market trend is toward larger units. Harris argues that the new proposal of 69 spaces provides one more than is required by the county, due to the site's proximity to Metro, and location within a transit development area. Likewise, Harris says the new recreational space is still 9% more than the county requires. Finally, the applicant says the new architecture will be more traditional than the site plan originally approved. Therefore, Toll Brothers is requesting amended changes to landscaping and benches.

Overall, Harris describes the proposed changes as minor. The final building design has not been viewed by the public, but the project has gained national attention as suburban homebuilder Toll Brothers enters the urban real estate market.

THE LAUREN ULTRA-LUXURY CONDOS SALES CENTER TO OPEN ON WOODMONT AVENUE (PHOTOS)

The most talked-about luxury building in Bethesda, The Lauren on Hampden Lane, is not yet under construction. But a sales office will open in an old house on the Woodmont Avenue side of the site in the near future.

THE LAUREN ULTIMATE BETHESDA PENTHOUSE REVEALED

The Lauren, which has stirred up a buzz about its future condominiums "from the several millions" on Hampden Lane at Bethesda Row, has now released more details about the most exclusive residence among the building's 25 units: the Penthouse.

You've got to give the marketing firm credit: The Lauren is generating more discussion than any other residential project in town. Even the backlash against the provocative PR campaign is simultaneously impressing The Lauren's "discerning" target audience with amenities that blow away any other luxury building in town.

The (extremely) wealthy future owner of this penthouse will be king or queen of a veritable castle overlooking downtown Bethesda.

Arrival will allow a choice of valet parking, or driving your Bentley directly into your own private space. Penthouse owners, as with other multi-bedroom units in The Lauren, will have 2 reserved spots.

For the auto enthusiast, The Lauren promises an optional car lift in your space, allowing you to work on that fix-me-up Lamborghini you've been meaning to get around to.

Want to check with the 24/7 concierge about where to dine tonight, or those tickets for the Bethesda Row Cinema? No? Then be whisked directly into your unit in your private elevator.

Exiting the elevator foyer in your penthouse, Jeeves awaits your coat, which he will place in the Coat Room - yes, a coat room like a fancy restaurant or club would have.

Would you like to sit at your own, full bar? Or retrieve a particular vintage from your wine "cellar" around the corner?

The formal living room looks out upon the Grand Terrace. Jeeves is flexing his fingers, ready to provide some background music on the grand piano, as you step outside into the evening air.

Have you hired a personal chef? You obviously can afford it! Would you prefer to dine in your Formal Dining Room, with seating for 10?

Ah, a more casual evening in mind? Paté will be just as delicious in the massive kitchen, that also seats 10 for in-kitchen dining.

The two fireplaces are roaring away.

Will you binge-watch a favorite program in your 9-seat home theater? Or review The Wall Street Journal in the Library?

Your iPad controls the temperature, electronics, and even the window shades throughout the penthouse.

The maid is doing your laundry in the Laundry Room - that's right, a room, not a closet.

Later, she will retire to her own studio apartment Maid Quarters within the penthouse, one of the 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms you have.

Of course, the Master Suite is the best of those, with its own outdoor Terrace, and study.

How about His and Hers closets (with Hers being twice the size of his)? You betcha.

His and Hers sinks. His and Hers toilets.

Don't like what you see in the His mirror? Or the Hers?

Whip yourself into shape in the Fitness Center downstairs.

Oh, why bother; you're so rich, it doesn't matter what you look like anymore.

Look at the peasants below, searching for a parking space (or an affordable apartment in downtown Bethesda).

Let them eat Georgetown Cupcake.