Sports Bar, Restaurants Sought In Central Development By Silver Spring Residents

SILVER SPRING, MD — A new apartment complex and retail center called Central is slated to open this summer on the corner of Fenton Street and Wayne Avenue in Downtown Silver Spring. Central will offer residential units and over 1,500 square meters of retail space on the lower level. Silver Spring residents recently discussed what kind of shops they'd like to see in the new development on the East Silver Spring Civic Association listserv.

Some residents requested a space for small musical events with coffee, beer, wine and snacks, like Busboys And Poets in Takoma. Most residents requested a housewares store, a diner, a bakery and a toy store.

Central will offer 243 residential rental units, an outdoor pool, a bike workshop, a dog-washing station, a fitness center and a WiFi cafe, according to the developer Grosvenor Americas.

"The area is going through a major transformation to accommodate the growing population and demands of the market with plans for interactive public plazas and community meeting places," the Grosvenor Americas' Central page says.

"By designing spacious and innovative building amenities for residents, we hope to create a meeting place for residents to engage and interact."

The building, at 8445 Fenton St., is right across the street from the Silver Spring Library.

Grosvenor Americas collaborated with the Montgomery County Planning Board and the First Baptist Church while designing the site, as the church has occupied the corner of Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street for the past 50 years. According to the Washington Post, a new church and a daycare center will be built on an adjacent property as part of the project.

Hat tip to Source Of The Spring.

Photo: Grosvenor Americas