Mind Games opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Mind Games has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Toronto-based toy store chain sells books, educational toys, and games alongside the conventional popular toys. It also has its own house-brand products. Familiar toy brands stocked include Lego, Funko, Mattel, and Maisto.

Give whoever set up the Funko display at the front of the store extra points for putting Inspector Gadget and Ultraman in that prominent location. Let the mind games begin on Level 1 of the mall, next to Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Claire's opening new location at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Claire's is coming back to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda in a new location. The ubiquitous mall piercing studio and gift shop has "improved our safety and sanitation procedures to give you a safe, clean, and happy piercing," the Illinois-based company says. Claire's will again go head-to-head with arch-rival Banter by Piercing Pagoda at the mall, giving potential customers - and in some cases, their nervous parents - a chance to comparison shop. When it opens, look for Claire's on Level 1 outside of Macy's.

Update on Torchy's Tacos in Rockville (Photos)

Permanent lighted signage has been installed at Torchy's Tacos at 12266-A Rockville Pike at Federal Plaza in Rockville. Last night, it was already lit up. It's not quite as large and prominent as former tenant Chuy's' was when viewed from the Pike, but includes a sharp rendering of the Mexican chain's devilish mascot.

Outdoor seating has put placed on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Pitchfork door handles have been installed on the entrance doors. A liquor license hearing for Torchy's has been scheduled for August 15, 2024. Just yesterday, the company posted a help-wanted ad for a Local Store Marketer for this location on Indeed. Torchy's Tacos is expected to open by fall.

Amazon Fresh Gaithersburg store posts opening date

Amazon has posted the opening date for its Amazon Fresh grocery store at 15790 Shady Grove Road at the 270 Center, on the border of Rockville and Gaithersburg. The long-delayed but highly-anticipated store will open at 8:00 AM sharp on August 8, 2024, according to the banner that has just been posted on the storefront. A grand opening of this supermarket has been years in the making, and the process has taken almost as many twists and turns as the 2024 presidential race. 

I broke the story about Amazon's plans way back in September of 2020. More than two years passed before a potential opening date was even hinted at, as Amazon itself kept total secrecy about its plans, even as it completed the interior fit-out of the store. The only public confirmation of the store came when signage was installed on the storefront. Yet, with all shelving in place but empty of merchandise, the company then announced it would be postponing the opening until 2023.

Amazon never stated publicly why it was postponing the opening of the Gaithersburg store, and several others around the country. In February of 2023, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy still wouldn't offer details on that front, beyond citing the impact of the pandemic (which had long been declared "over" by that point, even by the most fervent lockdown proponents at all levels of government, as political winds shifted). But Jassy did promise that the retail giant would "go big" on its push into bricks-and-mortar grocery stores in 2023.

That never happened.

Just two months later, Amazon ordered its expensive lighted signage to be removed from the building at 270 Center. It had hung on the unopened store so long that it had already been vandalized. The store was now officially canceled. 

Amazon continued to hold its cards close to its vest, even as pundits declared the firm's venture into physical supermarkets a flop, and even began predicting that the existing Amazon Fresh stores might all close. Was it going to wave the white flag, and stick to online grocery delivery? The company was silent.

But the epic story of Amazon Fresh in Gaithersburg wasn't over yet!

During the first week of June this year, Amazon's employment site suddenly listed jobs for an Amazon Fresh store in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Was this an error? On June 5, I emailed all three leasing representatives for 270 Center to ask if Amazon had reversed its plans. All three declined to respond.

Three weeks later, Amazon confirmed it indeed had changed its mind yet again. The company posted a "coming soon" banner on the otherwise blank storefront. A few days later, the lighted logo signage - either repaired or replaced - was installed on the building. Last night, the opening date banner was in place, the logo sign was lit up, and the lights were on inside the store. 

You can't completely divest Amazon from its penchant for secrecy, though: paper now covers the windows to block the public's view of the long-completed interior, and the status of possible inventory being placed onto those long-empty shelves. No more "spy photos" like those I was able to post a few weeks ago.

The lights are on...and somebody is finally home at Amazon Fresh in Gaithersburg.

The Lady Vintner opening this fall in Rockville

The Lady Vintner will open this fall at 42 Maryland Avenue in Rockville Town Center. A craft beer and fine wine retailer, The Lady Vintner will also serve small plates. There will be outdoor patio seating available. The space was recently vacated by Pour Vino N' Hops. The Lady Vintner has a Montgomery County liquor license hearing scheduled for August 1, and is anticipating a September opening. Operating hours will be 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM Sunday through Wednesday, and 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM Thursday through Saturday.

Montgomery County Council won't put property tax hike question on ballot this fall

Robin Ficker

The Montgomery County Council voted 6-5 on Tuesday to reject a Charter Review Commission proposal that would have made it easier to raise property taxes above the current County Charter limit. This means the proposal will not be put before the voters as a ballot question in November 2024. Currently, under the successful Robin Ficker ballot initiative approved by voters in the past, the Council must vote unanimously to raise property taxes above the charter limit. The CRC proposal, the latest attempt to do an end run around the popular "Ficker Amendment," would have dropped the unanimous vote requirement.

Councilmembers who voted against the CRC proposal were Marilyn Balcombe, Andrew Friedson, Natalie Fani-Gonzalez, Evan Glass, Sidney Katz, and Dawn Luedtke. The Councilmembers who voted for the proposal to remove the unanimous vote requirement were Gabe Albornoz, Will Jawando, Kristin Mink, Laurie-Ann Sayles, and Kate Stewart.

Montgomery County's high property taxes are one of several highly-regressive tax burdens on working families and residents who are on fixed incomes. Along with high property assessments, the annual payments have essentially become a second mortgage for many cash-strapped residents. The Ficker Amendment has provided relief from even-more-nightmarish tax bills since it was passed. That's because, as it is, the Council has raised property taxes on residents every year except for FY-2015.

Nancy Regelin is new chair of Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) Board of Directors

Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), a public-private partnership that helps businesses launch, locate, and expand in Rockville, has appointed a new chair of its Board of Directors. Nancy Regelin succeeds Susan Prince, who held the position since 2020. Regelin is a familiar face to those who follow land use and development issues in Rockville and Montgomery County, where she is a real estate law shareholder at the prestigious law firm of Shulman Rogers in Potomac. Among the notable projects she was associated with that fundamentally transformed neighborhoods in the City were the redevelopment of the Rockville Mall, and the development of the Upper Rock District.

“We are honored to welcome Nancy as our new Board Chair and look forward to benefiting from her continued vision and expertise,” REDI CEO, Cindy Rivarde said in a statement yesterday. “I have long considered Rockville as my adopted hometown and am honored to have the opportunity to serve to support economic development efforts so all of Rockville can prosper,” Regelin said.

Regelin has been a member of REDI’s Board since 2010, has served as Vice Chair since 2020, and is the Chair of the Maryland Women’s Business Center Advisory Board. She is also the co-founder of The Power Conference, a women’s business development event.