In a public meeting this Wednesday, Washington, D.C.-based developer Carr Properties and architect Shalom Baranes discussed their plans to demolish Bethesda’s Apex Building at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue for a Purple Line station and two new buildings.
Bethesda Magazine reported that the building must be demolished by the spring of 2017, and a light-rail tunnel and Capital Crescent Trail tunnel to the Maryland Transit Administration must be constructed by the end of 2018.
On top of a roughly 800-space parking lot, the two planned buildings will be 250 feet high with one housing 350,000 square feet of office space and one with up to 500 residential units. Both will feature ground-floor retail. The garage will be accessible on Elm Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Bethesda Magazine reported that the Regal Cinemas currently in the Apex Building will be given the opportunity to return to the new development.
According to UrbanTurf, the residential units will be a mix of studios to three-bedrooms. The majority of the units will be apartments with some condos. At least 12.5 percent of the units will be designated as moderately priced dwelling units.
The height of the buildings may reach up to 290 feet if the zoning for the property is changed through the Bethesda Downtown Plan, reported Bethesda Magazine. The City Council is expected to approve the plan later in 2016.
The approximate time frame for the delivery of the project is 2020.
• Bethesda’s Apex Building Must Be Demolished by Spring 2017 [Bethesda Magazine]
• 450 Apartments, Offices and a Purple Line Stop Planned For Downtown Bethesda [UrbanTurf]