Marriott’s decision to build its new corporate headquarters in downtown Bethesda was big news, but not as big—at least in terms of the number of Bethesda Beat readers—as a follow-up story reporting that the owner of the Tastee Diner might sell that property to give Marriott even more space. As of mid-December, no deal had been reached.
Marriott’s presence in Bethesda will have far-reaching ramifications. The new headquarters and flagship hotel next door will remake the downtown skyline, bring thousands more people into Bethesda each day, attract new businesses, pump life into Woodmont Triangle and drive up commercial and residential property values.
And one more thing: During and after construction, the traffic along Wisconsin Avenue will be even worse than it is now. To complicate matters, at least five other major commercial construction projects along Wisconsin will overlap with Marriott. Gridlock, anyone?
