Massive Residential Project Planned Above Bethesda Metro Station

• February 27th 2019

by Nena Perry-Brown

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It appears that a large-scale residential project is planned right above the Bethesda Metro station. 

Last July, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved a sketch application for one of downtown Bethesda's most central sites. Now, Brookfield Properties is opting to move forward with mixed-use residential for 4 Bethesda Metro Center, a site on the platform above Bethesda Metro where Old Georgetown Road and East-West Highway meet Wisconsin Avenue (map). As previously approved, the site could support a 500,000 square-foot development with ground-floor commercial and either office space or up to 600 residential units.

Yesterday, Brookfield confirmed to UrbanTurf that the development will indeed move forward as residential over retail.

“With its unparalleled proximity to the Bethesda Metro Station and what will be one of Bethesda’s most prized public spaces, with expansive street-facing Metro Commons public meeting space, new shops and cafes and a spacious Central Lawn, we think 4 Bethesda Metro Center is an ideal location for new housing opportunities for local residents and will become an exciting destination for Bethesda,” Brookfield Properties senior vice president Simon Carney said in a statement.

The building itself will have a maximum height of 290 feet, and at least 15 percent of the residences will be moderately-priced units. The development will also include a roughly 42,000 square-foot public plaza with a Central Lawn and retail-lined promenade, and improvements to the station itself, including reconfigured bus bays.

The development team is currently working with county officials in advance of filing a preliminary plan with more technical details. No further timeline details are available at this time. Montgomery County currently has a temporary moratorium on approving new residential development due to concerns around school overcrowding.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/up-to-600-residences-planned-above-bethesda-metro-station/15058.