Douglas Development plans to build a 14-story apartment building on the site of the former Ranger Surplus at the corner of Wisconsin and Cordell Avenues.
The project includes 130 one- and two-bedroom rental units and a 3,200-square-foot retail space, which may be used for a restaurant.
Emily Vaias, the land use attorney who presented the project at Tuesday night’s initial public meeting, said Douglas hopes to file the project with the Planning Board by the end of August.
The current Ranger Surplus building at the corner of Wisconsin and Cordell will be torn down to make way for the building. The building, which is being called 8008 Wisconsin, will extend from Wisconsin Avenue to Woodmont Avenue, along Cordell Avenue. Ranger Surplus closed at the site in February. The beer and wine store near the corner of Woodmont and Cordell would be demolished, but Bruce Variety would remain.
Amenities planned for the building include a rooftop pool and lounge, a second-floor private outdoor courtyard, an exercise room and a social room. The building was designed by WDG Architecture, the firm that also designed the new Gallery Bethesda apartment building on Auburn Avenue.
A couple nearby property and business owners expressed concern about the amount of underground parking being built as part of the project. Vaias said the building will have 77 spaces for the 130 units.
Joel Danshes, who owns the Andris Realty building across the street of the site, said that would not be enough parking for residents and as a result the nearby county lot on Woodmont would be overwhelmed.
“You seriously think that’s enough parking for 130 units?” asked Danshes at the meeting.
Vaias said the county doesn’t require them to have any parking at the site. A Douglas representative said the problem with adding more parking is that construction becomes significantly more expensive the deeper they dig, especially if they run into hard bedrock.
A small pocket park near the corner of Woodmont Avenue and Cordell Avenue is planned as the public amenity.
Douglas plans to submit a site plan and preliminary plan for the site next year and construction is not likely until at least 2016, according to Vaias.
.jpg)
Picture: Ground floor includes a 3,200 square foot retail/ restaurant space (orange), entry to the garage, a social room and leasing center
Picture: The rooftop plans include two "pod" pools, a lounge, green roof, seating areas and grills
Picture: The streetscape plans include a pocket park as a public amenity near the corner of Cordell Avenue and Woodmont.
Picture: Facade view facing Cordell Avenue and Woodmont Avenue
