As featured in Bethesda Magazine
A plan is in the works to build apartments in place of a now-shuttered Ford dealership at the Westfield Montgomery mall in Bethesda.
A development application submitted to the county earlier this month lays out plans to build up to 355,822 square feet of housing on the 4-acre property at the corner of Motor City Drive and Westlake Terrace.
An Ourisman Ford formerly occupied the 37,300-square-foot building and surface parking lot on the site, according to the proposal. A previous redevelopment proposal would’ve replaced the car dealership with 340 homes, restaurants, stores and hundreds of parking spaces, but the current application states the shifting economic climate has forced a change of plans.
“In light of trends associated with the Great Recession, the considerable cost of underground parking, and the lack of demand for retail and restaurant space on the Property due to the proximity of numerous similar uses, the development approved under the Site Plan is no longer economically feasible,” stated the application by FP Whitro Westlake LLC, an entity affiliated with the Potomac-based Foulger-Pratt Cos.
The proposed apartment building would be up to 75 feet tall, and the project would include an entry plaza that would face Westlake Terrace and include seating, public art and a bikeshare station, according to the proposal. A sketch plan also shows a walking trail, pool and outdoor lounge area.