Thursday, April 20, 2017

Wheaton redevelopment construction to start in June

Parking Lot 34 has been modified
in preparation for the start of
the Wheaton redevelopment project
The Wheaton redevelopment project is probably the topic I get the most questions about from readers. I'm pleased to report that there is finally some news on that front. Construction on the Montgomery County office building portion of the project is now scheduled to begin in June.

Montgomery County is citing the addition of two floors to the office building, and of a geothermal feature designed to help the structure achieve a Platinum LEED certification, as the two reasons for the delay in groundbreaking. In addition, some adjacent property owners were uncooperative regarding the use of tie-backs in excavation retaining walls. Those negotiations also added to the delays, according to Mid-County Regional Services Center Director Luisa Montero.

In preparation for the partial closure of Lot 13 in the Wheaton Triangle, Montgomery County has converted the Ennalls Public Parking Lot (Lot 34 at Ennalls and Grandview) into 2 hour spaces. They have also added more handicapped parking spaces in that lot. Taste of Wheaton will still be held in Lot 13 on the first Sunday in June.

14 comments:

  1. I'm curious what your source for this information is. Was there a press release stating the new start date? With all the planned and subsequently missed start dates I'm skeptical of any date that may be announced.

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    1. 11:24: You're probably justified in being skeptical. My source was the County government, which is developing this office building with StonebridgeCarras.

      I don't believe there was a press release, but MCDOT is briefing business owners due to the impact on parking.

      And of course, there is no firm date announced for the groundbreaking yet.

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    2. There's seems to be a construction date http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/midcounty/Resources/Files/WUDAC/Wheaton%20Urban%20District%20Advisory%20Committee%203-27-2017.pdf

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  2. I hope they don't turn Wheaton into a soulless city of highrises and chain stores, like Ballston.

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    1. lol, wut? Wheaton's the one with the sprawling, soulless, chain-filled mall, in case you didn't notice. But don't worry, at this pace it'd take about 250 years for Wheaton to see as much investment as Ballston.

      Wheaton's only real chance is that after downtown SS finishes building out that level of investment and demand moves up to Wheaton. Until then, Wheaton's headlines will consist of murders at the mall and robberies at the metro.

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    2. Perhaps you should come visit sometime and look around the dozens of Mom & Pop stores and great food all around downtown. The mall is only one part of Wheaton.

      If I recall correctly places like Bethesda also include headlines about murders at their mall (and yoga stores etc...) along with plenty of robberies as well. Wheaton is a great place with a bad reputation it does not deserve.

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    3. I'm not saying Wheaton deserves its poor reputation - I'm pointing out that the rotten stuff gets over-reported because there's little else going on that's noteworthy. I don't think you should be so quick to throw stones; maybe you should take your own advice and visit Ballston sometime if you think it has a higher percentage of chains than Wheaton. Because it doesn't.

      Wheaton badly needs more investment, more residential demand, more employers, and more interest from local and national retailers. Hopefully someday soon it'll get that -
      and if it does, that hardly means it'll become "soulless."

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  3. Point noted, and I agree Wheaton most definitely needs more attention from all sorts of players. Though just to be clear I'm not the same Anon who posted about Ballston, just the one who posted about Bethesda.

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  4. what is the wheaton redevelopment? Is grandview avenue's parking lot 13 going to be a hi rise office bldg or a hi rise apt bldg? will there be underground parking ? what will be built over the metro where the current mid county office bldg is? thanks you.

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    1. Lot 13 is being replaced with a high-rise County office building with a Town Square and connection to the Metro station at the lower end, and a Bozzuto apartment building at the northern end.

      Nothing, as of yet, is planned for over the bus bays. I think if we get some Council members who better understand the world of international business in 2018, it is an ideal location for a corporate headquarters building, which would help much more than the County building to generate excitement about Wheaton.

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    2. Thank you mr robert. Are thw stores (italian deli, dance school? auto rrpair, dunkin donuts? Vacuum store etc? phone store, barbers and salons etc )going to close?

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  5. "...I think if we get some Council members who better understand the world of international business in 2018..."

    Says the guy who has never actually worked in an office in his life.

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    1. I worked in an office for years. What information leads you to believe otherwise? You don't even have any way to know what I've done, or what I'm doing today. Just a dumpster-diving hobo going on and on like Charlie Brown's teacher. "Wa wa wa wawawa wa."

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