SPEAK OUT: Which Grocery Store Does Downtown Bethesda Need?

Grocery news is big news in Bethesda, and with a Harris Teeter now signed on at a new mixed-use development at 8300 Wisconsin Ave., we’re turning our attention to another market that’s planned for a new building just a few blocks south.

Developers JBG are planning a 444,000 square-foot residential building with 475 units and more than 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail at 7900 Wisconsin Avenue. The development will stretch from Wisconsin to Woodmont at St. Elmo avenues.

The modified development, formerly planned to be the site of the new Bethesda police station, will go before the Montgomery County Planning Board Feb. 14. The building will feature a through-block open space that will pass beneath a portion of the building, with retail lining Wisconsin, Woodmont and a portion of the open space.

Included in the retail concept? A 15,000-square-foot grocery store.

(Read more about the development at the Montgomery County Planning Board's website [PDF.]) You can also check out the renderings attached to this story.

After Patch broke the news that Harris Teeter will soon open in the nearby 8400 development, we heard from readers about what kind of market they’d like to see.

Patch commenter Phil McNeal wrote:

“Isn't another developer planning a grocery store just one bock south in the proposed 17-story 7900 Wisconsin Ave apartment building? We could use something a little more upscale like a Mom's Organics, Wegmans, or Whole Foods downtown."

We’d like to know what you think.

The northern portion of the Woodmont Triangle is certainly wanting for grocery stores, but what do you think about having two coming in so close together? Do you think Harris Teeter is a good choice for the 8300 Wisconsin development? Which grocery store would you like to see at 7900 Wisconsin? Does Bethesda need a more “upscale” grocery store downtown, like McNeal suggests? Tell us in the comments.