Frienship Heights GEICO development

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with the heights and that shopping center in general is it’s so confusing. I can never tell what level I’m on or how to get places.

The main problem is that that area spans two jurisdictions and each individual site is owned by different parties. There is no overall coordination to say turning FH into Pike & Rose as an example. As an example, I have zero understanding of who owns the surface lot between Mazza and the old Lord & Taylor and what function it serves. It's never been available for general parking and right now appears to rent space to a landscaping company to store their equipment.

Not to mention it's a huge waste to turn the old L&T into the bus depot...I guess the bus depot will get developed, but it's strange to move it 1/2 block away and seems like it will take years to actually happen.

Then you have the massive Saks parking lots that serve little purpose and could be incorporated into a grand plan.

That site is a better location for the bus depot than potentially prime real estate on Wisconsin is, I think that plan makes sense. Literally anything would be better than the status quo. (I'd personally root for a giant indoor sports complex with soccer fields, but that's because then my kids could walk to winter soccer practices when the weather's bad instead of having it canceled.)

I don't disagree...other than the fact there appears to be no progress to actually move the bus depot to the L&T. Literally nothing has happened while the L&T site just continues to degrade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this goes here or in local politics...

But the public hearing for the Friendship Heights GEICO development is tomorrow. Sign up to testify or send written testimony: https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda-item/october-23-2025/

They're seeking to remove the already approved office density and put in a new plan, and they are requesting a waiver of stormwater management requirements

I live very nearby, but in D.C., not Maryland, so I don't get a say. But I'm all for more housing there instead of that office building. Would help keep the retail on Wisconsin Avenue in business, which has been a problem lately (and would help bring better retail that serves nearby residents rather than whatever the target audience for some of those stores has been). I don't care about traffic because I take Metro to work and my kids walk to school.

Even if you walk, you should start caring because there are a lot of cars hitting pedestrians in Friendship Heights and that's directly related to increased traffic: pedestrians, bikes, and cars. Especially if you have kids

Yes, I obviously don't want my kids or anyone else to be hit by a car, but I also don't think that's a reason to oppose needed housing developments.

I don't think anyone is in opposition. If done correctly, this can be a big boon in amenities and property values. But people are correct to say, let's bake in consideration for schools, the environment, the roads and parking. Let's do proper urban planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with the heights and that shopping center in general is it’s so confusing. I can never tell what level I’m on or how to get places.

The main problem is that that area spans two jurisdictions and each individual site is owned by different parties. There is no overall coordination to say turning FH into Pike & Rose as an example. As an example, I have zero understanding of who owns the surface lot between Mazza and the old Lord & Taylor and what function it serves. It's never been available for general parking and right now appears to rent space to a landscaping company to store their equipment.

Not to mention it's a huge waste to turn the old L&T into the bus depot...I guess the bus depot will get developed, but it's strange to move it 1/2 block away and seems like it will take years to actually happen.

Then you have the massive Saks parking lots that serve little purpose and could be incorporated into a grand plan.

That site is a better location for the bus depot than potentially prime real estate on Wisconsin is, I think that plan makes sense. Literally anything would be better than the status quo. (I'd personally root for a giant indoor sports complex with soccer fields, but that's because then my kids could walk to winter soccer practices when the weather's bad instead of having it canceled.)

OMG this would be a much better use of the space than a moving the bus depot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this goes here or in local politics...

But the public hearing for the Friendship Heights GEICO development is tomorrow. Sign up to testify or send written testimony: https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda-item/october-23-2025/

They're seeking to remove the already approved office density and put in a new plan, and they are requesting a waiver of stormwater management requirements

I live very nearby, but in D.C., not Maryland, so I don't get a say. But I'm all for more housing there instead of that office building. Would help keep the retail on Wisconsin Avenue in business, which has been a problem lately (and would help bring better retail that serves nearby residents rather than whatever the target audience for some of those stores has been). I don't care about traffic because I take Metro to work and my kids walk to school.

Even if you walk, you should start caring because there are a lot of cars hitting pedestrians in Friendship Heights and that's directly related to increased traffic: pedestrians, bikes, and cars. Especially if you have kids

The area already has tons of cars and Wisconsin Avenue is a major thoroughfare. I don't know how many people commute to the Geico location right now, but wouldn't there be likely fewer cars as a result of turning that area into housing? I would think a main attraction to living there is being across the street from the metro, so a car wouldn't be essential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with the heights and that shopping center in general is it’s so confusing. I can never tell what level I’m on or how to get places.

The main problem is that that area spans two jurisdictions and each individual site is owned by different parties. There is no overall coordination to say turning FH into Pike & Rose as an example. As an example, I have zero understanding of who owns the surface lot between Mazza and the old Lord & Taylor and what function it serves. It's never been available for general parking and right now appears to rent space to a landscaping company to store their equipment.

Not to mention it's a huge waste to turn the old L&T into the bus depot...I guess the bus depot will get developed, but it's strange to move it 1/2 block away and seems like it will take years to actually happen.

Then you have the massive Saks parking lots that serve little purpose and could be incorporated into a grand plan.

That site is a better location for the bus depot than potentially prime real estate on Wisconsin is, I think that plan makes sense. Literally anything would be better than the status quo. (I'd personally root for a giant indoor sports complex with soccer fields, but that's because then my kids could walk to winter soccer practices when the weather's bad instead of having it canceled.)

OMG this would be a much better use of the space than a moving the bus depot.

I know Frumin has mentioned trying to get an indoor ice rink in FH. I don't think the area is at all big enough for a giant indoor sports complex. You might be able to get one or two fields, and then the issue is what happens during the warm months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with the heights and that shopping center in general is it’s so confusing. I can never tell what level I’m on or how to get places.

The main problem is that that area spans two jurisdictions and each individual site is owned by different parties. There is no overall coordination to say turning FH into Pike & Rose as an example. As an example, I have zero understanding of who owns the surface lot between Mazza and the old Lord & Taylor and what function it serves. It's never been available for general parking and right now appears to rent space to a landscaping company to store their equipment.

Not to mention it's a huge waste to turn the old L&T into the bus depot...I guess the bus depot will get developed, but it's strange to move it 1/2 block away and seems like it will take years to actually happen.

Then you have the massive Saks parking lots that serve little purpose and could be incorporated into a grand plan.

That site is a better location for the bus depot than potentially prime real estate on Wisconsin is, I think that plan makes sense. Literally anything would be better than the status quo. (I'd personally root for a giant indoor sports complex with soccer fields, but that's because then my kids could walk to winter soccer practices when the weather's bad instead of having it canceled.)

OMG this would be a much better use of the space than a moving the bus depot.

I know Frumin has mentioned trying to get an indoor ice rink in FH. I don't think the area is at all big enough for a giant indoor sports complex. You might be able to get one or two fields, and then the issue is what happens during the warm months.

Make it 10 stories! Two fields per floor. I don't care if it looms over my house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this goes here or in local politics...

But the public hearing for the Friendship Heights GEICO development is tomorrow. Sign up to testify or send written testimony: https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda-item/october-23-2025/

They're seeking to remove the already approved office density and put in a new plan, and they are requesting a waiver of stormwater management requirements

I live very nearby, but in D.C., not Maryland, so I don't get a say. But I'm all for more housing there instead of that office building. Would help keep the retail on Wisconsin Avenue in business, which has been a problem lately (and would help bring better retail that serves nearby residents rather than whatever the target audience for some of those stores has been). I don't care about traffic because I take Metro to work and my kids walk to school.

Even if you walk, you should start caring because there are a lot of cars hitting pedestrians in Friendship Heights and that's directly related to increased traffic: pedestrians, bikes, and cars. Especially if you have kids

Yes, I obviously don't want my kids or anyone else to be hit by a car, but I also don't think that's a reason to oppose needed housing developments.

I don't think anyone is in opposition. If done correctly, this can be a big boon in amenities and property values. But people are correct to say, let's bake in consideration for schools, the environment, the roads and parking. Let's do proper urban planning.

Of course, but don’t be so antagonistic that you scare every developer over to VA because they don’t want to deal with all the BS in MoCo. MoCo residents and elected officials don’t seem to realize that social programs need tax revenue and tax revenue is generated by adding additional businesses and residences, preferably aimed at the type of people who would pay a lot of taxes. You can’t keep raising everyone’s property taxes to fund all these programs; it’s not sustainable. Every other residential new build cannot be aimed at retirees of affordable housing either because those people pay comparably low taxes.

[Anonymous]

Moving the bus depot opens space for development right on Wisconsin. That’s good. Turning the GEICO site into housing is also good but should be done with attention to environmental impact and effects on local schools. If you have lived in the area for a long time, you might not be thinking about schools anymore.
One main issue for retail in that area is the lack of reliable parking for customers. Yes, better to take Metro or walk and not drive. Realistically, though, people drive and having parking that isn’t a PITA - like the parking at Bethesda Row - makes it a whole lot more appealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moving the bus depot opens space for development right on Wisconsin. That’s good. Turning the GEICO site into housing is also good but should be done with attention to environmental impact and effects on local schools. If you have lived in the area for a long time, you might not be thinking about schools anymore.
One main issue for retail in that area is the lack of reliable parking for customers. Yes, better to take Metro or walk and not drive. Realistically, though, people drive and having parking that isn’t a PITA - like the parking at Bethesda Row - makes it a whole lot more appealing.

Yes! Must have lots of underground public parking that people can use to commute to metro too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with the heights and that shopping center in general is it’s so confusing. I can never tell what level I’m on or how to get places.

The main problem is that that area spans two jurisdictions and each individual site is owned by different parties. There is no overall coordination to say turning FH into Pike & Rose as an example. As an example, I have zero understanding of who owns the surface lot between Mazza and the old Lord & Taylor and what function it serves. It's never been available for general parking and right now appears to rent space to a landscaping company to store their equipment.

Not to mention it's a huge waste to turn the old L&T into the bus depot...I guess the bus depot will get developed, but it's strange to move it 1/2 block away and seems like it will take years to actually happen.

Then you have the massive Saks parking lots that serve little purpose and could be incorporated into a grand plan.

That site is a better location for the bus depot than potentially prime real estate on Wisconsin is, I think that plan makes sense. Literally anything would be better than the status quo. (I'd personally root for a giant indoor sports complex with soccer fields, but that's because then my kids could walk to winter soccer practices when the weather's bad instead of having it canceled.)

OMG this would be a much better use of the space than a moving the bus depot.

I know Frumin has mentioned trying to get an indoor ice rink in FH. I don't think the area is at all big enough for a giant indoor sports complex. You might be able to get one or two fields, and then the issue is what happens during the warm months.

Make it 10 stories! Two fields per floor. I don't care if it looms over my house.

Well, OK...but the economics wouldn't work for that so no company would ever do that. There is a reason these massive sports complexes are all one story spread across many acres. The St James complex in Springfield is 450,000 sq ft. on 20 acres.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with the heights and that shopping center in general is it’s so confusing. I can never tell what level I’m on or how to get places.

The main problem is that that area spans two jurisdictions and each individual site is owned by different parties. There is no overall coordination to say turning FH into Pike & Rose as an example. As an example, I have zero understanding of who owns the surface lot between Mazza and the old Lord & Taylor and what function it serves. It's never been available for general parking and right now appears to rent space to a landscaping company to store their equipment.

Not to mention it's a huge waste to turn the old L&T into the bus depot...I guess the bus depot will get developed, but it's strange to move it 1/2 block away and seems like it will take years to actually happen.

Then you have the massive Saks parking lots that serve little purpose and could be incorporated into a grand plan.

That site is a better location for the bus depot than potentially prime real estate on Wisconsin is, I think that plan makes sense. Literally anything would be better than the status quo. (I'd personally root for a giant indoor sports complex with soccer fields, but that's because then my kids could walk to winter soccer practices when the weather's bad instead of having it canceled.)

OMG this would be a much better use of the space than a moving the bus depot.

I know Frumin has mentioned trying to get an indoor ice rink in FH. I don't think the area is at all big enough for a giant indoor sports complex. You might be able to get one or two fields, and then the issue is what happens during the warm months.

Make it 10 stories! Two fields per floor. I don't care if it looms over my house.

Well, OK...but the economics wouldn't work for that so no company would ever do that. There is a reason these massive sports complexes are all one story spread across many acres. The St James complex in Springfield is 450,000 sq ft. on 20 acres.

Yes, this is obvious, I was mostly kidding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:without knowing anything about this - did GEICO submit a plan ages ago when office space was in demand and now they're trying to update the plan to reflect a post-COVID world where we need more apartments and fewer office buildings?

They want to build 500 units without any traffic studies, school inftastructure, stormwater planning...

Anything is better than the depressing eyesore that is currently there. Montgomery County is losing out big time to DC and NoVa in terms of private investment. They don’t have a lot of room to be picky because they are in such a desperate financial situation.

Are you a real estate developer or just careless? No it is not a good idea to add 500 units of housing (ex: 2000 people) to a location without understanding where the kids will go to school and where people will park and where water will drain.

No, I live nearby and have lived in the area for almost 50 years. I have seen Friendship Heights decline ever since it peaked around when the Mazza Gallerie Theater opened two to three decades ago. The neighborhood, and frankly a lot of neighborhoods in Upper NW like Cleveland Park and Tenleytown, were a lot nicer 15-25 years ago and have been declining ever since. To have nice things, like The Heights Food Hall that closed after a couple years, you need to get more people who aren’t retirees to live around the area. I want nice things around where I live, like stores and restaurants. I don’t want to live near a dying commercial strip.

500 residences replacing a depressing Soviet style dilapidates office building is a good thing, period. I don’t know why this is a controversial point to you.

I knew it. You have no ties to Montgomery County schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this goes here or in local politics...

But the public hearing for the Friendship Heights GEICO development is tomorrow. Sign up to testify or send written testimony: https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda-item/october-23-2025/

They're seeking to remove the already approved office density and put in a new plan, and they are requesting a waiver of stormwater management requirements

I live very nearby, but in D.C., not Maryland, so I don't get a say. But I'm all for more housing there instead of that office building. Would help keep the retail on Wisconsin Avenue in business, which has been a problem lately (and would help bring better retail that serves nearby residents rather than whatever the target audience for some of those stores has been). I don't care about traffic because I take Metro to work and my kids walk to school.

Even if you walk, you should start caring because there are a lot of cars hitting pedestrians in Friendship Heights and that's directly related to increased traffic: pedestrians, bikes, and cars. Especially if you have kids

This is false. I’ll ask you to provide any citations to back this up, but I know none will be forthcoming.

— 30 yr FH resident

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with the heights and that shopping center in general is it’s so confusing. I can never tell what level I’m on or how to get places.

The main problem is that that area spans two jurisdictions and each individual site is owned by different parties. There is no overall coordination to say turning FH into Pike & Rose as an example. As an example, I have zero understanding of who owns the surface lot between Mazza and the old Lord & Taylor and what function it serves. It's never been available for general parking and right now appears to rent space to a landscaping company to store their equipment.

Not to mention it's a huge waste to turn the old L&T into the bus depot...I guess the bus depot will get developed, but it's strange to move it 1/2 block away and seems like it will take years to actually happen.

Then you have the massive Saks parking lots that serve little purpose and could be incorporated into a grand plan.

That site is a better location for the bus depot than potentially prime real estate on Wisconsin is, I think that plan makes sense. Literally anything would be better than the status quo. (I'd personally root for a giant indoor sports complex with soccer fields, but that's because then my kids could walk to winter soccer practices when the weather's bad instead of having it canceled.)

OMG this would be a much better use of the space than a moving the bus depot.

I know Frumin has mentioned trying to get an indoor ice rink in FH. I don't think the area is at all big enough for a giant indoor sports complex. You might be able to get one or two fields, and then the issue is what happens during the warm months.

Make it 10 stories! Two fields per floor. I don't care if it looms over my house.

Yes!! Take a prime real estate parcel in one of the most expensive parts of the metropolitan area and make it useful and relevant to 0.5% of the metro population!!

I have a good idea too: let’s make this a private aircraft hanger for people who own their planes! We can get the utility down below 0.003%!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with the heights and that shopping center in general is it’s so confusing. I can never tell what level I’m on or how to get places.

The main problem is that that area spans two jurisdictions and each individual site is owned by different parties. There is no overall coordination to say turning FH into Pike & Rose as an example. As an example, I have zero understanding of who owns the surface lot between Mazza and the old Lord & Taylor and what function it serves. It's never been available for general parking and right now appears to rent space to a landscaping company to store their equipment.

Not to mention it's a huge waste to turn the old L&T into the bus depot...I guess the bus depot will get developed, but it's strange to move it 1/2 block away and seems like it will take years to actually happen.

Then you have the massive Saks parking lots that serve little purpose and could be incorporated into a grand plan.

That site is a better location for the bus depot than potentially prime real estate on Wisconsin is, I think that plan makes sense. Literally anything would be better than the status quo. (I'd personally root for a giant indoor sports complex with soccer fields, but that's because then my kids could walk to winter soccer practices when the weather's bad instead of having it canceled.)

OMG this would be a much better use of the space than a moving the bus depot.

I know Frumin has mentioned trying to get an indoor ice rink in FH. I don't think the area is at all big enough for a giant indoor sports complex. You might be able to get one or two fields, and then the issue is what happens during the warm months.

Make it 10 stories! Two fields per floor. I don't care if it looms over my house.

Yes!! Take a prime real estate parcel in one of the most expensive parts of the metropolitan area and make it useful and relevant to 0.5% of the metro population!!

I have a good idea too: let’s make this a private aircraft hanger for people who own their planes! We can get the utility down below 0.003%!

That's not true if you have ever been to the St James facility. The place is packed because it's used by school, club and rec teams...it also has a gym membership that is popular...indoor pools open to the general public...it's a pipe dream to think something like that could ever be built in FH, but to claim only 0.5% of the population would use it is absolutely false.