Renderings Unveiled For 12-Story Westin Hotel in Bethesda

The vision is taking shape for a 12-story Westin hotel and an 11-story office building between Woodmont and Wisconsin avenues on a two-acre site that houses the the Bethesda Court Hotel and several parking lots.

A site plan and preliminary plan amendment for the two buildings are set to go before the Montgomery County Planning Board April 4.

Developers Bernstein Companies are proposing a 222-room, 196,357-square-foot Westin hotel and 253,787-square-foot office building, 16,326 square feet of street-level retail for both buildings, 576 underground parking spaces, and a 36-foot-wide pedestrian pass-through between the two structures to connect the Woodmont Triangle with the Bethesda Metro station.

The Bethesda business community has hailed the proposal.

“The project’s location bridges the heart of the Bethesda CBD and portions of  Woodmont Triangle located further to the north, and the mix of uses will enliven the southern portion of Woodmont Triangle and help to ensure that the project and surrounding areas are activated beyond just the workday,” wrote Ginanne Italiano, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, in a 2011 letter in support of the project.

The added pedestrian connection between Wisconsin and Woodmont also would benefit businesses that front the two streets, Italiano wrote.

The development would not affect the Woodmont Grill or the Tastee Diner.

Read more about the proposed development at the Montgomery County Planning Board’s website [PDF].

What do you think about the new hotel and office development? Tell us in the comments.