446-Unit Building Could Replace a 1960s Apartment Complex in Bethesda

• April 21st

by UrbanTurf Staff

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Plans to tear down an aging three-story apartment complex on Battery Lane in Bethesda and replace it with a 12-story residential building appear to be moving forward.

A development team that includes Kossow Management Corporation filed a Site Plan application this month with Montgomery County for the proposed redevelopment of 4861 Battery Lane, which currently houses an 84-unit building constructed around 1960. The new project would deliver up to 446 apartments, with 15% of those units set aside as Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs).

The project, designed by Architects Collaborative, aims for a contemporary base-middle-top massing with what the applicant describes as a "dynamic façade of cantilever bays" running from the 4th through 11th floors, and a recessed tower anchor at the southeast corner intended to soften the building's presence along Battery Lane. At street level, the design proposes expanding the sidewalk and introducing a landscaped "pocket green" plaza. Residents would also have access to a large interior courtyard, rooftop amenity space, and below-grade parking.

The project has been through multiple rounds of review before Bethesda's Downtown Design Advisory Panel since 2023, with panelists pushing the design team on everything from the height of the building's base to the livability of the proposed ground-floor breezeway during colder months. The development team will take the latest iteration of the project back before the panel this week. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/446-unit_building_could_replace_a_1960s_apartment_complex_in_bethesda/24543.