Montgomery County Wants Metro To Rename White Flint Station

BETHESDA, MD — Maryland's most populous jurisdiction is requesting that WMATA rename White Flint Metro Station.

In a letter on Thursday, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) explained that the Red Line stop should instead be called "North Bethesda Metro Station" because it better reflected the community's identity and redevelopment plans.

"In 2010, Montgomery County completed a comprehensive update to the White Flint Sector Plan. Since that time, much has changed in North Bethesda including the former White Flint Mall which was dismantled between 2017 and 2020," Elrich wrote. "A key goal for the community — both residential and business — is identity; and White Flint is no longer a relevant name or term used."

In recent years, the county has shifted its attention from the former White Flint Mall — which was slated for demolition and redevelopment as a town center — to a new urban core called Pike District. The area surrounding White Flint Metro station has since been transformed into a mixed-use development with popular restaurants, retail, and green spaces.

Last year, the county began collaborating with a number of community organizations — including the Greater Bethesda Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce and Friends of White Flint — to come up with a more suitable station name. In a meeting held on March 31, 2021, the North Bethesda name was selected.

"The Metro station is crucial to the viability of this area and our community's vision for it," County Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D-District 1) said. "We need a Metro station that reflects that vision and helps our economic development, regional competitiveness, and placemaking efforts so the Pike District and North Bethesda become an even more vibrant, walkable, and livable destination."

With the help of state delegates in Annapolis, the county has secured $250,000 toward the station's renaming costs. According to Elrich, the county will contribute $50,000, while the "remaining costs will be paid by the key property owners in the immediate vicinity of this station."