285 Apartments Proposed to Replace Vacant Bethesda Office Building

• May 19th

by UrbanTurf Staff

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A vacant office building in the Rock Spring neighborhood of Bethesda could soon make way for nearly 300 apartments. 

Rockledge Associates has filed plans with Montgomery County to demolish the existing six-story, 163,000 square-foot office building at 6610 Rockledge Drive (map) and replace it with approximately 285 apartments in a new six-story building. The project would make use of the existing parking garage on the property, providing around 366 spaces for future residents — a ratio of roughly 1.3 spaces per unit that reflects the area's car-dependent character. Rock Spring sits about two miles from the nearest Metro stations at White Flint and Medical Center.

The project, designed by Design Collective, is being processed under Montgomery County's expedited Commercial to Residential Reconstruction (CRR) Plan pathway, which allows underutilized commercial floor area to be reallocated toward residential density. 

On the affordability front, the project would set aside 15% of units as Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), with an additional 2.5% restricted to renters earning no more than 60% of Area Median Income for a period of 25 years — bringing the total share of below-market units to roughly 17.5%. Along Rockledge Drive, the plans also call for streetscape improvements including a protected bikeway, pedestrian buffer, and 8-foot sidewalk on both frontages.

The project will go before the county's Development Review Committee next month. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/285_apartments_proposed_to_replace_vacant_bethesda_office_building/24638.