Report: Bethesda Metro Redesign Wins Praise, Draws Critics

Bethesda was selected for the "Model Station of the Future" pilot project by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in March.

A $10 million redesign of Bethesda's Metro station was praised by advocates in Montgomery County, but drew stinging criticism from preservationists concerned with a new Metrorail system that looks markedly different from the original design. According to a report from The Washington Post, the author of a book about Metro's designer, Harry Weese, a Chicago architect, described the redesign as equivalent to  “taking a Victorian storefront and slapping aluminum siding on it.” The secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts told the newspaper that the stations are too tied to the National Capital region to redesign.  “It’s one of the finest systems in the country, if not the finest system in the country, and it’s very carefully designed to …

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Bethesda Art Walk Popular Despite Rainy Weather

The Art Walk still drew a crowd, especially at the “Tunnel Vision” exhibition at the Bethesda Metro Station.

Despite the questionable weather and occasional rain, Bethesda Art Walk still drew a crowd on April 12, particularly at the exhibition near the Bethesda Metro Station. “Tunnel Vision: Art Under the Avenue,” an exhibition featuring the work of 12 regional artists, lines the walls of the pedestrian tunnel that runs under Wisconsin Avenue. The exhibition was part of the Bethesda Art Walk this month. The Bethesda Urban Partnership created the event in 2012 with the help of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, and they received a Downtown Merit Award for improving the public space. “Tunnel Vision is a shining example of excellent downtown management that delivers real results,” said David Downey, president and CEO of the International …

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Report: 'Much Brighter' Bethesda Metro Could Come Online By Mid-2015

The Washington Post reports on Metro's $10 million plan to test future design concepts at the Bethesda station.

New prototype design concepts at the Bethesda Metro will cost $10 million, and the "much brighter" station could come online by mid-2015, The Washington Post reports. Patch broke the news last month that Bethesda has been selected for the "Model Station of the Future" pilot project. The concepts tested at Bethesda may be used system-wide in the future, according to a Metro statement. Metro General Manager Richard Sarles told The Washington Post that the design changes would update elements of Metro's "outdated ’70s brown look" in favor of an "updated, 21st-century look.” The new look at Bethesda, which was chosen because of its pending escalator replacement project and design elements that make the station difficult to illuminate, could …

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Renderings Unveiled For 12-Story Westin Hotel in Bethesda

A pedestrian plaza is planned between the hotel and a new office building to connect the Woodmont Triangle with the Bethesda Metro station.

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 Connor Building, 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 …

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Metro Eyeing Bethesda For 'Station Of The Future' Pilot Program

Metro made the announcement Friday at a Chamber of Commerce task force meeting.

Metro is eyeing the Bethesda station for a pilot program for future Metro design upgrades, Ginanne Italiano, CEO of the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, said Friday. The pilot program has been dubbed the "Metro Station of the Future," Italiano said. Metro government relations officer Charles Scott made the announcement at a Friday morning meeting of the chamber's Metro Improvement Task Force, Italiano said. The announcement marks a victory for Bethesda leaders, who have pushed for years for improvements at the Metro station. "To us, it's huge," Italiano said. A Metro spokesman confirmed the announcement, but couldn't provide further details. "We can confirm that we are looking at Bethesda as a station to test future …

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Bethesda Metro Bus Bay Could Close for Two Years

Renovations to a private garage will prompt the closure of the bus bay at the Bethesda Metro station.

Renovations to a private parking garage will prompt the temporary closure of the bus bay at the Bethesda Metro station this year. Brookfield Properties, the owners of 3 Bethesda Metro Center, have submitted a traffic mitigation plan for the project, which will renovate the garage they own beneath the bus bay. The project could prompt the closure of the bus bay for 24 months, but the exact length of the closure isn't known, said Ken Hartman, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center director. Construction on the garage will likely launch in the second quarter of this year, Hartman said. Bus stops will need to be re-located when the bus bay closes. "It could be a major hassle for at least two years," Hartman said Friday at a meeting of …

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Erin Donaghue

3:38 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Here's the response from Ken: "The plan is very much in draft form and needs a considerable amount of review by Traffic, Transit, Metro, Police, State Highway, and the Urban District. It's not in a "final" condition to be released publicly yet. This is a big plan and needs to be reviewed carefully before approved." We'll continue to follow it.   more ›

PHOTOS: Bethesda Metro Elevator Re-Opens

The much-delayed rehabilitation project is finally complete.

After a much-delayed rehabilitation project, the Bethesda Metro station elevator has re-opened to transit commuters. The elevator closed in May for a rehabilitation project that was initially expected to take four months. Problems acquiring parts for the project contributed to the delay, Bethesda Now reported. The elevator was functioning Thursday morning. Bethesda blogger Robert Dyer, who first reported the news of the re-opening, posted photos of the elevator operating on Wednesday evening. The opening of the elevator came sooner than Metro's latest predicition of Friday.

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Report: Bethesda Metro Elevator Could Open This Week

Metro is awaiting a state inspection before it can re-open the elevator following a much-delayed rehabilitation project, The Washington Examiner reports.

After several delays, the Bethesda Metro station elevator could open late this week, The Washington Examiner reports. The elevator closed in May for a rehabilitation project that was initially expected to take four months. Metro crews ran into delays acquiring parts for the project, and new state elevator codes also contributed to the delay, according to a Gazette report. Metro is awaiting a state inspection before it re-opens the elevator, even though the repair work is finished, according to The Examiner. Next up for the station? A replacement project for the station's oft-bemoaned escalators, expected to launch in early 2014.

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Report: Bethesda Metro Elevator Could Be Open Next Week

Escalator project to launch in early 2014; could take longer than eight months to complete, The Gazette reports.