This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Harris Teeter Eyeing New Bethesda Supermarket on Wisconsin Avenue

Is another grocery store needed in Bethesda?

Update, 5:45 p.m.: Responding to a request for comment for this story, Stonebridge principal Douglas Firstenberg told Patch in a voicemail message Wednesday afternoon, "In terms of 8300 Wisconsin, we do have plans for a grocery store at the project but we have not made any public comment on who that might be."

Original Post, 10 a.m.: Harris Teeter, rapidly-expanding in the Washington, D.C. metro area, may be opening a large grocery store on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda within the next two years.

The new 50,000-square-foot grocery store will be at the corner of Wisconsin and Battery Lane, part of the development being mapped by StonebridgeCarras at the site of the former Trillium project.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

In a recent story, Bethesda Magazine reported that Stonebridge has Harris Teeter lined up as a tenant.

However, there maybe a few hurdles which remain to be cleared before the deal is finalized. A spokeswoman for Harris Teeter told Patch in an e-mail Tuesday that her company “has not signed a lease at that location.”

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

As previously reported by , the development on the northwest corner of Wisconsin and Battery Lane would include a high-rise apartment building (300-375 units) as well as the grocery store.

Right now there’s a large vacant lot enclosed by a fence at the proposed location for the store and apartment complex.

Harris Teeter already has a large store in North Bethesda off Rockville Pike. The North Carolina-based chain now has more than 200 stores in eight states and the District of Columbia.

By our unofficial count there are at least 12 supermarkets already operating in Bethesda and Chevy Chase. The Wisconsin-Battery Lane area however—where there are many homes—is generally under-served in terms of nearby supermarkets. So from that standpoint, the pending plans make sense.

Bethesda already has two large Giant Food stores (Arlington Road and Georgetown Square), two Safeway stores (the completely rebuilt store at Arlington Road and Bradley Blvd and another on Old Georgetown Road near Wisconsin), a Whole Foods Market on River Road and a Balducci’s in the Wildwood Center on Old Georgetown Road.

Chevy Chase has a refurbished Giant at Friendship Heights, two Safeways in Northwest DC, a brand new Whole Foods at Friendship Heights and a Trader Joe’s on Wisconsin Ave just above Bradley.

There are also independents Chevy Chase Supermarket in Chevy Chase Lakes and the Brookville Supermarket on Brookville Road as well as several smaller food outlets.

All of which leads to a logical question: Are there already too many supermarkets in Bethesda and Chevy Chase?  Or is increased competition for your food dollar welcome? Tell us in the comments.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed information to Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center director Ken Hartman. We regret the error.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?