The company hoping to develop part of Bethesda’s Metro Plaza will host a community open house next month, the latest in a fight for public support between two neighboring property owners.
Brookfield Properties, owner of 3 Bethesda Metro Center, is in the early stages of designing a new building that would go in the center of the plaza near the Metro station’s bus bay escalators. The project would include building new retail space that Brookfield says would activate a long failing park and civic space.
But next-door neighbor Clark Enterprises has presented a proposal of its own for a new Bethesda Metro Plaza park that wouldn’t include a newly-developed high-rise building.
In 2008, Clark Enterprises, Chevy Chase Land Company and Chevy Chase Bank fought a proposed 16-story office building on the plaza in a rare public spat between developers. The companies claimed it would ruin views from their buildings and hurt any chance at improving the public space.
The Planning Board didn’t approve the new building, despite a recommendation to approve it from planning staff.
Now, Clark officials are again making the case that the plaza should remain open to the major intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Wisconsin Avenue in order to make a new park more welcoming.
The property owner that made the previous proposal has since sold the property to Brookfield, setting up another battle as county planners finalize their recommendations for a rewrite of the downtown master plan.
Both Brookfield and Clark have hired Rockville public relations agencies and gone to a county-led citizens advisory board to state their case and ask for a letter of support.
Since making its plea to the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board last month, Brookfield and Rockville-based Chesapeake Public Strategies have started a Facebook page titling the project “Bethesda Connected.”
“Brookfield is working in coordination with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Park & Planning to transform the underutilized Bethesda Metro Center Plaza into a new and exciting public space for the community to enjoy,” reads part of one post on the page.
There’s also a subtle jab at Clark, which hired architect David Kitchens — well known for his work on Bethesda Row — to come up with a plan for a great lawn and new park that wouldn’t include new building development.
“As owners of the property, we are the only ones who can make this a reality,” read the post from Brookfield. “We have the track record and experience of creating vibrant communities and exciting public spaces in the United States and around the globe.”
Clark Enterprises has hired Maier Warner to help with its public relations effort.
The plaza was once envisioned as a major gathering space in downtown Bethesda. According to the last downtown Bethesda Sector Plan, finished in 1994, an ice rink, open space and the former food court were supposed to make the space the civic center of the area.
But the ice rink and food court failed and newer developments such as Bethesda Row have proved to draw a bigger bulk of pedestrians.
Planners have acknowledged that downtown Bethesda has a dearth of useful civic and open spaces, and are proposing a series of new parks around town to address that.
Improvements to the Bethesda Metro Plaza weren’t included in planning concepts up to this point.
The Brookfield community open house is set for 10:00 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the 3 Bethesda Metro Center Atrium building.
Via Bethesda Connected
