Pickpocket strikes at Olney Village Center

Montgomery County police were called to the Olney Village Center yesterday, December 19, 2023, to investigate a pickpocket incident. The pocket was picked at a department store at the shopping center, located at 18330 Town Center Drive, at 5:30 PM. Watch your wallet, and avoid carrying it in your back pocket, if possible.

Downtown Silver Spring Outback Steakhouse update (Photos)

The waiting game continues at the future Outback Steakhouse at 8661 Colesville Road at Ellsworth Place mall in downtown Silver Spring. While the interior has looked ready to open for months, and the exterior signs are up and lit, the opening was pushed back to January 2024. Here's a look at where preparations stand inside the restaurant as we count down the final days to opening. This will be the third Outback Steakhouse in Montgomery County.

WMATA puts L8 Metrobus on chopping block in doomsday budget

A major bus route connecting Aspen Hill and the Friendship Heights Metro station is among 67 Metrobus lines WMATA is proposing to eliminate under its "doomsday" budget. The L8 Metrobus travels along the Connecticut Avenue corridor between Aspen Hill and the Chevy Chase area. It is the top bus route along that corridor; I rode this bus almost every day in high school. Governments and transit agencies often release doomsday budgets prior to asking taxpayers to shell out more to avoid the painful cuts proposed.

 

Montgomery County's JBG Smith biggest winner in D.C.'s potential loss of Capitals, Wizards

The Montgomery County Council and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore may have been asleep at the switch during the tug-of-war over the future home of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, but a company in their jurisdiction may pull off the biggest win in the teams' potential move to Virginia. Bethesda's JBG Smith is the landowner of the proposed Potomac Yard arena and mixed-use development sites in Alexandria. If the teams relocate as envisioned by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and team owner Ted Leonsis, the real estate development firm will stand to be ultimate victor from a business standpoint. Those potential big profits might still benefit the county and state revenue coffers in Maryland, even if the gaudy bragging rights to the actual teams will accrue to Virginia. 

Successful relocation of the teams to Potomac Yard, and the related development, dovetail perfectly with JBG Smith's existing plans and vision for the National Landing area. The firm will be able to sell the proposed sites to a Virginia sports development authority, and would be the developer of the corporate Monumental Sports Entertainment headquarters, arena, media studio, performing arts venue, and e-sports facility proposed as part of the overall plan. And the sports-related growth at Potomac Yards would boost the earning potential for JBG Smith's other National Landing properties, of which Amazon's HQ2 is the crown jewel.

Of course, HQ2's ultimate benefit to Northern Virginia remains to be seen, as Amazon has not been exempt from the work-from-home revolution and other stresses on its businesses. How many jobs and how many square feet of office space Amazon will eventually need at National Landing is up in the air at this point. How much Virginia taxpayers will shell out for a billionaire to move his sports teams is also not set in stone today. But the additional development opportunities the move would provide could not have come at a better time for JBG Smith.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is in the unenviable position of not only possibly losing two of the city's professional sports teams at once, but of having had to make a desperate bid of $500,000,000 at the 11th hour that doesn't appear to have persuaded Leonsis to stay. Such a two-team exit is a potential nightmare for Moore in Maryland, as he tries to keep the Washington Commanders and Baltimore Orioles in the state. His cringeworthy pitch to the Commanders in a VIP suite in "Raljon," as recounted by The Washington Post, did not reflect the bargaining prowess his Wall Street resume would lead us to believe he would have. Moore's inabililty to find immediate success in attracting major companies to Maryland over the past 11 months, despite a Rolodex filled with celebrity and Fortune 500 friends, has raised eyebrows among those closely watching Maryland's economic development efforts.

The fact that Moore was not in the conversation regarding the Wizards and Capitals, when the firm at the center of the intrigue is in his own state, is unlikely to reduce those whispered doubts in the business community. But the silver lining in this case is that JBG Smith - and Montgomery County and Maryland, if they actually get their share of the firm's increased revenue - will likely gain financially, even if Virginia ends up overpaying for the teams, as the company will still profit regardless. Virginia's elected officials could look like suckers a decade from now, but the real winner would still be at 4747 Bethesda Avenue.

Taco Bell Cantina Silver Spring update (Photos)

The interior fit-out of the Taco Bell Cantina at 8662 Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring is in the advanced stages now. Flooring, kitchen equipment, lighting fixtures and some seating are all in place. 

Takeout window

Two signs of the importance of takeout and delivery orders in the post-2020 restaurant business here are a cabinet for mobile and delivery orders to be picked up from, and a takeout window cut into the storefront. The latter has been a feature of the Taco Bell Cantina concept from its first location in San Francisco in 2015, however. 

Taco Bell Cantina has applied for its liquor license. A hearing on its application has been scheduled for January 4, 2024 at 10:00 AM.

Overnight Purple Line work this week in downtown Silver Spring

Purple Line-related utility work will take place near the McGee Library in downtown Silver Spring during the overnight hours this week, starting on the evening of December 15, 2023. Underground utilities will be installed between the library building and Bonifant Street. Work will take place between the hours of 7:00 PM and 9:00 AM. No completion date estimate for the work was mentioned in the announcement, and - as always - work plans may change due to inclement weather.

Police seeking shoplifter from Kohl's in Aspen Hill

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating an alleged shoplifter who stole merchandise from the Kohl's store in Aspen Hill on October 30, 2023. The incident occurred at the store, located at 3901 Aspen Hill Road, around 3:00 PM that day. Police have released photos of the adult male suspect, who was captured on surveillance cameras at the store.

The suspect is described by police as a Black male, approximately 6-feet tall, with a thin build. "He appears to have permanent injury to one eye and is currently wearing his hair in long locs," a statement from the police department said. He was carrying a large duffle bag at the time of the incident, and was wearing a gray beanie cap, a green coat, green pants, a blue neck gaiter and black and yellow gloves.    

Anyone with information regarding the suspect or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect. Tipsters may remain anonymous.