The $200 million redevelopment planned for a block of affordable housing in Silver Spring will go before the Montgomery County Planning Board next week for three key approvals.
Elizabeth Square, the joint project between the Lee Development Group and the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) of Montgomery County, would bring a new 15-story apartment building, a 19-story apartment building, a county recreation center and pool and a renovated 16-story apartment building to Second Avenue and Fenwick Lane.
Rendering of the planned Elizabeth Square in downtown Silver Spring. Credit: KGD Architecture
Lee Development Group says the project is needed to replace the Elizabeth House, a 14-story senior affordable housing building built in 1966.
The next-door Alexander House, built in 1992, will remain but with new balconies, windows and a green roof.
Ultimately, the project will have three buildings with more than 770,000 square feet and up to 907 residential units—15 percent of which will be moderately priced and 10 percent of which will be set aside as workforce housing.
The first phase of the project will be Elizabeth House III, to be located at the rear of the property on what is today a series of low-level office buildings.
Elizabeth House III will be 15 stories and 143 feet tall and include a community pool, fitness center, lockers, meeting space, “Wellness Center” and an educational kitchen to be operated by the county’s Recreation Department.
Rendering of Elizabeth House III, via KGD Architecture.
Elizabeth House IV will be built on the site of the existing Elizabeth House, with a large breezeway connecting Second Avenue to a large central plaza, artist studios and a café.
The project will include 557 parking spaces in a shared underground garage.
Lee Development owns the office buildings toward the back of the property, while HOC owns the two existing apartment buildings.
The developer said the project “grew out of the need to replace Elizabeth House with a new, modern and higher quality building while minimizing the disruption to current Elizabeth House residents.”
Planners recommended the Planning Board give the project three approvals on July 23: the Project Plan, Mandatory Referral and Preliminary Plan with conditions.
The existing Elizabeth Square site, via Montgomery County Planning Department.
Scale model of Elizabeth House IV, via KGD Architecture.
Rendering of interior courtyard at Elizabeth Square, via KGD Architecture.
Rendering of the breezeway part of the Elizabeth House IV building, via KGD Architecture.
