Mixed-Used Development In North Bethesda Approved By County

NORTH BETHESDA, MD — The Montgomery County Council unanimously approved the Grosvenor-Strathmore Minor Master Plan Amendment Tuesday, which will allow for increased development around the Red Line Metro station, including a new residential and commercial community called Strathmore Square.

Strathmore Square will be built atop the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station’s surface parking lot and the surrounding eight acres, according to a news release from Fivesquares Development LLC.

The first construction will begin in spring 2018 and will transform the area into a mixed-use, transit-oriented, sustainable development.

The development will "feature an attractive mix of buildings varying in height, and will include small-scale retail, a large village green, improved pedestrian and bike paths, and public art and performance space to enhance the community’s connectivity to the arts and its proximity to Strathmore Music Center," according to a news release.

Fivesquares used the Grosvenor-Strathmore Station area as a pop-up vendor plaza for 13 weeks during the spring and fall to demonstrate the benefits that small-scale retail brings to the community. Dozens of small, local businesses sold their goods at the pop-up, allowing Metro riders to pick up prepared foods, flowers, bakery items and more as they exited the station.

With the approval of the Grosvenor-Strathmore Minor Master Plan Amendment, Fivesquares will now begin the design process and will continue seeking community input as it develops the site plan to present to the Montgomery County Planning Department for review and approval, the news release states.

The area is located near the intersection of Rockville Pike and Tuckerman Lane just north of I-495 in North Bethesda.

Photo: Fivesquares Development