Construction on The Chimes, a 163-unit affordable housing development in North Bethesda, is now underway and developers are aiming to complete the project by mid-2026, according to developers Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP), a non-profit organization that works with local government.
On Thursday morning, Montgomery County officials, developers and community members joined MPH officials at the project’s site at 11901 Nebel St. to celebrate the project’s groundbreaking. The site was a vacant property in an industrial area located a half mile from the North Bethesda Metro station and the Pike & Rose neighborhood of shopping, dining and housing.
The $86 million project is the brainchild of MHP, a nongovernmental entity focused on preserving and expanding “access to quality, affordable housing” in the county, according to its website. Funding for the project included nearly $20 million from the county and $2.2 million from the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, according to MHP. Other funding partners are Capital One, Enterprise, Freddie Mac, Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, NeighborWorks America and Truist, according to the nonprofit.
“This is a wonderful day,” MHP President Rob Goldman said during the ceremony attended by County Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Andrew Friedson and Vice President Kate Stewart.
Goldman and others noted that North Bethesda, with its access to transit and retail and dining, is a highly desirable place to live. The Chimes is designed to be affordable for those who work in the county, including teachers, nurses, and those who hold retail, construction and service jobs, to be able to afford to live close to where they work, Goldman said.
“When we look back at the 2010 plan that we had for this community, it was to reimagine a place that had world-class amenities, but also to reimagine a place that was welcoming to people from all walks of life, that was truly inclusive and that truly reflected what and who we are … and what and who we value in Montgomery County,” Friedson said during the ceremony. “There isn’t a project that represents that and reflects that better than this one does.”
Goldman told MoCo360 after the groundbreaking that the project was all about building dreams and creating opportunities.
“We’re starting with the foundation of something that’s going to be great, and it’s located in a part of Montgomery County that is rich with resources,” he said.
A range of affordable living options
Once completed, The Chimes is expected to be a seven-story building with a mix of apartment sizes, including 10 studios, 57 units with one bedroom, 72 with two bedrooms and 24 with three bedrooms, according to MHP. Rents for all units are expected to be affordable to families with income levels ranging from 30% of the area median income (AMI) to 80% of AMI. Seventy-two units will be reserved for tenants making at or below 50% AMI.
Area median income is a common metric used to determine housing affordability and describes the midpoint of an area’s income distribution.
During the ceremony Elrich praised the project’s dedication to offering “deeply affordable” housing units – for families earning between 30% to 50% of the area median income. He said such affordable units were a “rarity” and the addition of 24 “makes a big difference” in the county.
“The cost of renting and … home ownership continues to climb. Wages are not nearly keeping pace with the increase in housing costs, and it affects a significant number of our residents,” Elrich said. “No matter what we’ve done with minimum wage, no matter how much of this we try to do, housing prices keep leaping forward. That’s why The Chimes in North Bethesda is as significant as it is.”
Goldman told MoCo360 after the ceremony MHP included the “deeply affordable” units because it wanted to provide housing opportunities for a diverse range of people.
Elrich also highlighted the inclusion of three-bedroom apartments in the project, noting they are “hard to come by,” but essential to house families with children.
“We need to think of a way to bring about a more complete mix of housing when we’re talking about our urban centers,” Elrich said.
Artie Harris, chair of the county Planning Board, told MoCo360 the project will provide future residents with “more options to be able to comfortably live” in the county. “The Chimes checks many of the boxes that people want in a housing development – convenient access to public transit, employment centers, parks, and other high-quality amenities without feeling financially strapped.
The building is expected to feature amenities including a community center, classrooms, an on-site leasing office, an outdoor rear deck, a pocket park and 143 parking spaces. A notable feature will be interactive wind chimes placed around the property, a nod to the development’s name.
According to MHP, the construction began sitework on the about a month ago.
Harris also noted the project advances the goals of Thrive Montgomery 2050, the county’s 2022 update to its master plan , to turn more vacant or underused parcels into “great places for residents and visitors to enjoy for decades to come.”
