Mazza Gallerie is Gone

 

 For some reason, when I heard that they are keeping the retail pavilion at Mazza Gallerie, I assumed it was an above-ground portion of the mall, but apparently that isn't the case.  The whole building has been removed to ground level, only a swoopy canopy where an entrance was remains.

 

It gives the area an unusually open feel, you can see bloomingdales from over a block away.

 

Behind the site you can see Chevy Chase Pavillion and the Cheesecake Factory.

 

When they are done, the site at 5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW, right on the border of Maryland and D.C. will have a 7 story residental building with 325 apartments.

 

 

 

Old Marriott HQ demolition

 

The old Marriott Headquarters

Back in February they put up construction fences around the old Marriott HQ headquarters in the Rock Spring area of Bethesda, MD.  Since then, visible progress has been slow.  They've done some demolition on the north side, but nothing too dramatic.  I think they have been clearing out the interior of the building.

 

 Now, on the south side, some very visible demolition is occurring. They have removed the facade from part of the building leaving the bare interior visible. There are piles of sorted demolition debris waiting to be recycled.

 

Exterior demolition and a dumpster

 

 

The Astrid apartments construction

 

Both towers of the Astrid

 

The Astrid, an apartment complex being built next to the Pooks Hill Marriot is nearing completion.  Somehow, it has managed to get to this point without me posting about it.

The site is located on the north side of Pooks Hill Road next to the Pooks Hill Marriott and close to Interstate 495. It is also less than 1.5 miles from the Grosvenor-Strathmore metro station. Prior to this construction, the site had a surface parking lot that was overflow for the Marriott.
 

 

The Astrid apartments as seen from the Marriott parking lot

The latest site plan (pdf link) I can find is from 2020 and called for 510,000 square feet of space across two buildings that have a maximum height of 137 feet. There will be 562 units in total.

The view of the Astrid if you were going east on Pooks Hill Rd.

 

The apartments are on a hill, so there is a large retaining wall at the front of the site.

 

 

Taste of Bethesda was today

 Taste of Bethesda made it's triumphant return to the Woodmont Triangle area of Bethesda on October 7th 2023.  The day started off rainy and cloudy, but by the start of the festival the rain had stopped.  By early afternoon the sun was poking through the clouds eventually being sunny and breezy.

 

Spanish Diner was there and served up chicken Paella all afternoon. They (and Jaleo before them) have long participated and make paella in a huge pan.

This is the first Taste of Bethesda post-covid. the event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the virus, then in 2022 the weather put the kibosh on the festivities.

It was crowded there and popular food stands had long lines, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

 

Tout de Sweet served up a variety of macarons and pastries. This one was made with pistachio and was a bit greener than it looks in the photo.

 

 

 

 

 

8015 Old Georgetown Road construction progress

 

8015 construction as seen from Old Georgetown Road

Progress on the apartments at 8015 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, MD has continued. A lot has been done since my last update in June, but there is still much to go.

When complete, the building will contain 224 units and up to 82,270 square feet of commercial density for 73 live/work units and shared commercial space. Find out more at the planning board (pdf link).

The corner of Old Georgetown Rd and Glenbrook Rd

 The 2.52 acre site is along  Old Georgetown Road, Glenbrook Road, and Rugby Avenue. The property was formerly occupied by Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church. The church and related buildings were demolished in March of 2022. (see also this and this).

The construction from Glenbrook Road

 

Looking at the 8015 Old Georgetown Road construction from the Auburn-Del Ray parking garage.

The construction as seen from a nearby parking lot.

 

 

 

4909 Auburn construction

 Construction has really progressed since my last update in April. Then there were just two stories above ground, now there are about a dozen. Another thing that has changed is the project now has it's own website promising "timeless, Scandinavian inspired interiors". The apartments will be available in mid 2024.

 

The building towers over it's neighbors.  The lower floors are starting to get covered up, but the top floors have a way to go.

 

The main part of the building fronts Auburn Avenue in Bethesda, MD (no surprise there). It is near the corner of Auburn and Norfolk, with just the small building containing V Nails, Cornucopia, and Jack the Clipper next to it.

 

Along Auburn Avenue, the lane adjacent to the construction is closed, but there is still two-way traffic along the block.

 

From the top floor of the parking garage across the street, you can only see the top five floors.

 

There is one entrance on Norfolk Avenue, this used to be the entrance to the parking lot for the Auburn Professional Building, now it will contain a retail storefront.

 

 

The new Call Your Mother in Bethesda

 

The Call Your Mother trolly on the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Greentree Road in Bethesda, MD has been replaced with a new, much larger, trailer.  The same pastel colors are there but the difference is immediately obvious. When you first see it, all that is visible is a large blank pink wall.

Here's how it looks if you are traveling North on Old Georgetown Road.

The front of Call Your Mother.  Although from the perspective of the road, it is the back.  They open the shutters when they are open for business.

The Old Trolley

The Call Your Mother trolley is back in the corner of the lot. It is much smaller and more cramped than the new food trailer, but it looks a lot nicer and has more character.

I must admit, I'm not a big fan of this change, but I'm open to hearing what you think.