The Residential Redevelopment Of The GEICO Headquarters Moves Forward

• April 8th

by UrbanTurf Staff

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For years, the sprawling 26-acre GEICO campus in Friendship Heights has defined the neighborhood's edges — a largely insular corporate compound bounded by Western Avenue, Willard Avenue, and Friendship Boulevard. Now, with GEICO preparing to vacate the site for its new headquarters at The Wilson building in downtown Bethesda, a residential transformation of the property is taking its next official step.

Developer EYA will bring its redevelopment plans before the Montgomery County Development Review Committee later this month, marking a significant milestone in what would be one of the more substantial infill projects in the area in recent years.

The redevelopment plan calls for approximately 520 new residences, split up as follows:

• 175-185 townhomes with two-car garages that will dot the interior of the site. 
• A pair of 48-unit condo buildings that will sit along Willard Avenue.
• A 235-250 apartment building that will be located near the corner of Willard Avenue and Friendship Boulevard. 

One of the more notable elements of the proposal is the fate of Brookdale Park, the 3.7-acre green space currently tucked into the southwestern corner of the property. The applicant is proposing to upgrade the park — which currently features a playground, basketball court, and volleyball court — in collaboration with community residents and the Montgomery County Parks Department, then dedicate it to the County outright. The development team also outlined plans for a 40-foot wide promenade that will run along Willard Avenue, and include a walking path, bike lane and green space. 

Demolition of the buildings on site could begin in the coming months, as GEICO moves to Bethesda. If the Montgomery County review proceeds on schedule, EYA hopes to break ground on the new development in 2027, though no firm construction timeline has been announced.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the_residential_redevelopment_of_the_geico_headquarters_moves_forward/24500.