390 Apartments and a Little Bit of Gotham: The Plans for Bethesda’s Metro Tower

• November 26, 2018

by Nena Perry-Brown

Earlier this year, Saul Centers purchased the building at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Hampden Lane in downtown Bethesda. Now, the company is unveiling early plans to redevelop the site. 

The developer has filed a sketch plan application to replace the existing office tower at 7316 Wisconsin Avenue (map) with a 250 foot-tall building, delivering 390 residential units above 11,000 square feet of commercial space. Fifteen percent of the apartments will be moderately-priced dwelling units. 

As for the Torti Gallas + Partners design, the application explains that the site presents an opportunity for an "iconic building".

"Metro Tower will stand at what will become a future "main and main" pedestrian corner of the Bethesda CBD," the application states, citing the future Purple Line stop and improved access to the Bethesda Metro station. 

The proposal would also improve the adjacent public plaza and enlarge it from 4,672 to 9,183 square feet by razing the two-story building that constitutes unit C-2 of 4800 Hampden Lane (map). 

The development team will present the proposed project to the Bethesda Downtown Design Advisory Panel on Wednesday.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/390-apartments-and-an-expanded-public-plaza-the-plans-for-bethesdas-metro-t/14732