Wednesday, July 09, 2014

BETHESDA ARTS CENTER - CAN AND SHOULD THIS PROJECT BE DONE?

The proposal for a new Bethesda Arts Center on the square block defined by Wisconsin, Fairmont, Woodmont, and Norfolk Avenues is certainly an intriguing one. A residential building would sit atop a black box theatre, dance studio, and artist spaces. Outside, would be a park-plaza gathering space. There are, however, quite a few issues that should be considered, before any major taxpayer-funded effort is made towards the project.

Most obvious is the challenge of assembling an entire square block of land from several landowners. Reportedly, Union Hardware and at least one other landowner are on board. But EagleBank and 7-Eleven are not, to this point. If taxpayer dollars are to be expended for a project led by a private developer, what amount of the land purchase will be made with public funds, and where will those funds come from? Do landowners have any incentive to take less than market value? And, given that at real market value, a square block near Bethesda Metro is literally worth a fortune, how could the county afford to pay said value?

Secondly, this project would have a tremendous impact on Fairmont Plaza, which directly faces the site across Fairmont Avenue. A handful of Fairmont Plaza residents I've spoken to (and I in no way am claiming they represent a majority opinion in Fairmont Plaza) tell me they've heard nothing about this project, and have been contacted by neither the private parties involved, nor the county. Such communication needs to happen sooner rather than later.

That brings me to a third point, because it directly affects Fairmont Plaza residents. Currently, the 7-Eleven store does three things. It is an amenity for nearby residents and workers. It activates that block of Fairmont Avenue 24 hours a day, with continuous foot traffic. And that relates to the third thing 7-Eleven does - it brings an element of safety to pedestrians and residents of Fairmont Plaza. While the EagleBank property is dead after business hours, there is activity around the clock at 7-Eleven. And police and fire vehicles often stop at, or by, the 7-Eleven. Should redevelopment of the site occur, based on the very general sketch provided, Fairmont Plaza could end up across from a wall, or an empty park late at night. Both of which would represent a drop in safety in that area.

Point number four is an extension of that. Namely, will the range of uses proposed for the arts center activate the affected streets at night? How late will this black box theatre operate? What is the market for it? What will be at street level all around the square block? We hear about vibrant streets, and activating streetscapes. But quite a few projects approved by the county are not providing that, and many so-called proponents of vibrant streets are not stopping those projects from being approved. We need to be consistent in design principles. Imagination Stage is a great venue, but it is often dead at night along that block. So a performance theatre alone may not achieve the goal of activating the streetscape. And a limited-hours park won't, either, after dark. At the same time, a loud gathering space would be far noisier than the current 7-Eleven. A recent boom in bank branches, and other projects with business-hours-only activity, has left some downtown residents disappointed. So, we need to consider the greater impacts of whatever is proposed for this site on nearby residents.

The sketch also shows a building on the current site of the 24-hour CVS across Wisconsin Avenue. If that is what planners imagine, could we be taking one of the few 24-hour hotspots in Montgomery County (with 7-Eleven, CVS and Tastee Diner) and turning it into a dead zone at night?

Speaking of theaters, there are several formal and informal theaters currently operating in Bethesda. Will the black box theatre compliment those, or compete with them for the same audience?

Given the nature of black box theaters, is the size and scope of such a massive public-private undertaking justified for such a spartan facility, which could in theory be located anywhere in the Woodmont Triangle? Is this a way for a developer to get a sweetheart price, for-profit project on a lucrative site, while providing - in relative terms - low-cost public amenities?

Should we wait to find out the fate of the Apex Building first? The demolition of the Apex Building to facilitate the Purple Line station would also destroy the Regal Cinemas, a vital revenue engine for nearby restaurants and businesses. One obvious impediment to a replacement cineplex is the significant square footage needed for such a facility. Could this square-block site be a potential location for a new cineplex? Such a cineplex would bring more private investment money into the proposed deal, while still retaining many of the proposed benefits of the arts center plan. There's no reason the black box theatre or dance studios could not still be housed in the building, because cineplexes are often partially or entirely underground.

Is this the prime spot for a large gathering space? Based on the sketches shown, it appears it would have less square footage of outdoor public gathering space than the plaza at Bethesda Metro Center. Yet, I am hearing more detail about this project, than about what we will do to restore public gathering at the Metro. Reactivating the Metro Center plaza would be less expensive than this project, so we shouldn't use public gathering space as a major justification for the arts center.

Beyond that, several projects are providing public space entirely through private investment. These include the public plazas at the Gallery Bethesda and Bainbridge Bethesda apartments, and the JBG project on the other side of Fairmont Plaza. So there is more public space on the way. But none of those, nor the arts center proposal, include any significant additional parkland beyond the traditional pocket or urban park.

What will the height and density of the project be? The building shown in the planning department sketch looks awfully squat for an urban location near Metro.

Finally, what is the proposed parking plan for the facility? Would it have an underground garage for both residents and patrons of the arts facilities?

Again, I have not formed a final opinion about the Bethesda Arts Center proposal. What I do think, is that we need substantive community discussion on the above points and others, before we start committing public funds to a project of this scope. Please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bad idea, look at the ticket sales at all the arts places around bethesda, the new jazz place is about to go belly up, starthmore has had to bring in mainstream acts to keep it viable, the round house doesn;t do well and imagination stage survives on big donors. Gallary B might as well be vacant, 99.9 % of people have no idea where it is. the guy who owns union hardware is trying to cash out without making it look like he is the same as all the other developers in the area.

simple solution, bring back the draft house, raw bar, and all will be fine.

Anonymous said...

I agree. We really need to see what the true demand is for.

We need theatres, but we already have several in town. It's too risky to deactivate an entire square block at night. The area around Imagination Stage is dead at night, we don't want that.

I'm alarmed at the lack of community outreach. I live next door and heard nothing about this plan Union Hardware and the county has been cooking up for months.

Anonymous said...

Insinuating that a 7-11 is an "activity center" is laughable.

Lots of activity going on there: People buying Redbox DVDS, homeless guys asking for spare change, customers buying tostitos. How vibrant!

Also, that 7-11 will get redeveloped in the next 10-15 years regardless. Wouldn't you rather have an amenity the public could use instead of another apartment and useless pocket park/lion statue?

Anonymous said...

I'm all for having an arts center (with the exception of the theatre - Bethesda already has several), but I am not sure a developer-led project is the way to go. What entity would be in control of the arts space? Will the studios be affordable? Does the developer have final say/censorship over what art is displayed or what plays are shown? If there is a gallery, will it be curated, or will it be pay-to-play? To what extent will the arts center engage local artists and existing arts organizations?

Anonymous said...

Sadly, the sketch of the arts center shows it to be a apartment building with a pocket park, just as you describe.

Anonymous said...

"Sadly, the sketch of the arts center shows it to be a apartment building with a pocket park, just as you describe."

What sketch?

Anonymous said...

Rob.
I guess you can say anything in your blog spot. It's unfortunate that so much of it is inaccurate. I'm just trying to figure out why you think any public money or even tax break is going towards this project. It isn't.
It's a simple thing realy. What is good for the community is good place to start. The black box theater has been on a high priority list for the community for 8 years. It along with the art center and park are a nice feature for Bethesda. Bethesda is a state designated art and entertainment district. Give them what they want. The retail and condos/apartments will support the art center. The project could be all condos, but that is boring for Bethesda.
Rob, if you are interested in more facts, I'm available.
David

Anonymous said...

"Rob, if you are interested in more facts, I'm available."

you've come to the wrong place for facts...this guy literally just wrote 7-11 keeps the neighborhood safe!

Anonymous said...

Bob is just raising valid questions.
We all need more specifics on the project.

Steve D. said...

Can a new theatre survive in Bethesda? The current ones seem to be struggling.

Anonymous said...

Tastee Diner will probably go next. It'll be a one level building stuck between two massive developments.

Robert Dyer said...

David,

This is an opinion piece, not a news report. There are very few facts yet available to the public, which is why I was trying to express some of my concerns. I clearly stated that I have not taken a position on the project yet, given that few details are known.

If no public money is involved, that would be great. There have not been any public meetings about this proposal, to my knowledge. Just the vague concept from county government sources. The email from the BCC Services center had a link that just goes to the Bethesda downtown plan general page. Clicking all around that site presents no page about this project. What little I've heard and read did not specify what role the county would or would not play in the project. Given that it is only being announced by the government, and not by the private developer - and that the suggestion was made that the county would be assisting in making this complex real estate deal possible - it did not seem to rule out public assistance for the project, or operations of the arts facilities.

If one developer can raise the financing for the astronomical market value of a whole block near Metro, then that's great. I just haven't heard anyone communicate that directly to the public yet.

I also expressed other concerns that I and nearby residents have, which were not addressed in the minimal public statements by planners about the project.

In particular, a lot of the new mixed-use projects are not bringing ground floor tenants who are open at night. 7770 Norfolk has taken several restaurants out, and replaced them with essentially a brick wall at night. We currently have an active area on Fairmont Avenue, and just having a wall, a park, or shuttered dry cleaners and banks along there at night would be a step down.

Those are just a couple of reasons why I was hoping to get more public discussion, and more information. The Apex Building scheme was presented in the same way, and then rushed to approval with little public input. To this day, the public no little of what taxpayers will invest in that redevelopment, nor what they'll get in return.

If there are facts that need to be known by the public, they should be presented for them to read.

I am not condemning this project, or urging anyone to oppose it. I'm expressing my concerns, based on what little has been presented to the public, knowing that planners tend to run away with these things before we even know what they're up to. I don't doubt the sincere interest in creating a successful arts facility. I just haven't heard enough details of how this will work, and what sorts of tenants will end up being along ground level.

Robert Dyer said...

10:04 - Elitist opinions aside, 7-Eleven does make that block safer at night, for the specific reasons I mentioned in my post.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with many of the points you made in this opinion piece. I don't understand why the county keeps wanting to provide parks that aren't even big enough to throw a Frisbee. Many of the Bethesda office parks and plazas offer as much to the community as that proposal. I really don't support a park unless there is a plan to go all-in and provide something of substance, even if that means taxpayers(myself included) are stuck paying for it. My ideal vision for that block, after leaving it alone or completely to the private market, would be to provide a central gathering space to Bethesda. City Center Park in Greensboro would be a good example. No buildings, just a stage structure, restrooms, and green space. I would love to spend April through October on a lawn in the center of downtown. It could also host free concerts, community events, or sports (WORLD CUP!) viewing. A social hub of a thriving community. On a larger scale, Columbus Ohio recently removed their downtown shopping mall to create a massive green space in the center of town. This example isn't a good financial case study for Bethesda, but socially it has created a great asset to the community. Again, my view is county stay out of it, but if they want to make waves, make big ones.
Greensboro City Center photo

Anonymous said...

Bob,
We need some folks who know how urban cities work.

24 hour 7 Elevens and drug stores aren't glamorous, but they are part of what makes an urban area work for those who live there.

I EXPECT that the new Harris Teeter will be open 24 hours. After all, the newest Harris Teeter in Tysons Corner is 24 hours (in a much less urban area compared to Bethesda).

Same thing with walkable sidewalks, which is becoming a problem around town.

You and your readers have reported major pedestrian issues and blocked sidewalks from all corners of the downtown over the past few days from Arlington Road to Pearl Street to Fairmont Avenue.