YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase completes initial revitalization phase
After three years of renovations, YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase announced the completion of the first phase of a three-part, $8.7 million revitalization project last week.
The remodeling is the result of a broader improvement campaign by the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington.
The Bethesda nonprofit now features an updated fitness center, a new lobby and a vastly different exterior. The organization’s Wellness Center received a glass-enclosed addition, along with cutting-edge technology to track workouts.
YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase has raised more than $2 million for the project and will need an additional $6.7 million to finish off the final two phases.
“We have an aggressive renovation plan to ensure that the Y is providing the best in equipment, technology and programs,” YMCA President and CEO Angie Reese-Hawkins said in a statement. “The Y provides an essential neighborhood location where members, volunteers, and the community can connect.”
Launch Workplaces to add second Bethesda center
Launch Workplaces will open Launch Bethesda Wisconsin in September, the company’s fifth space in Montgomery County and seventh overall.
The new coworking center will take over 6,500 square feet in a Washington Property Company building at 6900 Wisconsin Ave. The space will have 20 private offices, 12 workstations and two multimedia conference rooms, along with a kitchen and eating area.
“Launch Workplaces provides more than a space to work, we provide a user experience, and Washington Property Company is working with us to do just that with Launch Bethesda Wisconsin,” Launch Workplaces CEO Mike Kriel said in a statement.
Launch Workplaces is a division of The Brick Companies and offers flexible working environments for individuals, startups and small businesses.
The company has centers in Rockville, Gaithersburg and Silver Spring, in addition to a pair of Bethesda locations.
Hyatt Regency Bethesda finishes $37 million renovation project
Hyatt Regency Bethesda boosted its food and beverages options as part of an upgrade, adding Brown Bag restaurant and expanding its Starbucks and Morton’s Steakhouse locations.
The project follows a 2018 renovation that included a redesign of the hotel’s lobby, façade and 390 guest rooms.
Fast-casual restaurant Brown Bag will arrive in August, returning to the area more than a year after the Apex building redevelopment closed the chain’s original location. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant will have floor-to-ceiling windows and entrances from the lobby and the outdoor plaza area.
Brown Bag’s opening has been pushed back multiple times due to slow construction.
Hyatt Regency’s 2,600-square-foot Starbucks opened last summer and attracts more than 12,000 customers a week, according to the hotel. The Morton’s Steakhouse restaurant lost its glass wall entryway and now has French doors that open from the bar area.
County Alcohol Beverage Services raises $10,000 for child cancer research
Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services teamed up with Tito’s Handmade Vodka to bring in $10,000 in June for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a charity supporting families with children fighting cancer and researching cures and treatments.
Tito’s donated $1 per select bottle sold in county retail stores. ABS used in-store displays and sales to contribute to the foundation.
The charity was founded in 2005 in honor of Alex Scott, who raised more than $1 million for cancer research by running lemonade stands while she fought the disease. Scott’s parents started the foundation a year after her death to continue her work.
“Supporting programs that benefit families and children falls in line with our commitment to public health and safety,” ABS Director Bob Dorfman said in a statement. “This is a charity doing amazing work and we are pleased to be able to help.”
Charlie Wright can be reached at charlie.wright@moco360.media
