Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Assault on Rockville Pike this morning

Paramedics were called to what a 911 dispatcher described as a "garage behind Bed Bath and Beyond" on Rockville Pike just after 5:00 AM this morning. They were told they would find the victim of an assault at that location. No further details were immediately available.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Nighttime sewer replacement near Rockville Town Center

A contractor will be replacing sewer lines along E. Middle Lane and Park Road in Rockville starting in September. The work will be performed at night, between the hours of 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM. It will require lane closures, and for that reason, the City of Rockville requested the project be completed at night.

This will require a noise waiver from Montgomery County. Heads up if you live in the Upton apartments, Rockville Town Square, Americana Center (to a lesser extent), or any of the single-family homes off of Park Road.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Rockville construction update: King Farm townhouses (Photos)

The transformation of King Farm's business district into a residential area continues. Michael Harris Homes is making significant progress on their new townhome development, right near the Sheraton hotel and exit ramp from I-270.








Friday, August 26, 2016

Chuy's throws a party in Rockville (Photos)

Tex-Mex restaurant Chuy's celebrated its upcoming first restaurant in Montgomery County with a Redfish Rally last night. The new restaurant is scheduled to open in October at Federal Plaza, but the party was held at another nearby Federal Realty property, Montrose Crossing. Chuy's pitched a tent atop the parking garage there, and served up food and drink samples.
Chuy's chefs make fresh
guacamole on the spot
To emphasize the chain's commitment to fresh ingredients, chefs were making fresh guacamole and bartenders were squeezing fresh lime juice for margaritas all night long. To emphasize the company's commitment to the community, Chuy's announced that the local charity they will support is Hero Dogs, a Brookeville-based non-profit that trains and places service dogs with veterans who need them free of charge. Several hero dogs were in attendance, joining Chuy the Redfish and former Rockville City Councilman Tom Moore among the notable guests.

Chuy's plans to hire an impressive 175 employees at this restaurant. Those interested can apply in-person Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Chuy’s hiring office located at 1776 E. Jefferson Street, Unit #117, in Rockville.
Banner touts that
"everything is made
from scratch" at Chuy's
Another promotes their
fresh hatch green chiles
Free t-shirts
...although you could make
a charitable donation if you wanted
I can report that the
fresh-squeezed lime juice
made a noticeable difference
in the margaritas
Fiesta essentials
on display
Stringed lights hung
over the crowd
Chuy himself (herself?) made
an appearance



Montgomery County is
gaining on Austin in the
weird department every day
Sauces are so important
at Chuy's, that they have
their own webpage
Speaking of sauces,
a chef adds one to
an attendee's nachos


Chuy's brought along
some of their trademark
interior design accents -
hubcaps and...
...redfish
Meet hero dog
Mitch



Thursday, August 25, 2016

Dawn Crafton Dance Connection grand opening September 1 in Rockville

Dawn Crafton Dance Connection has an evening of events planned for its grand opening on Thursday, September 1, at Rockville Town Square. The night will begin with a special dance performance on the square at 6:30 PM.

A ribbon cutting will follow. The new studio will be open afterward for tours and sample classes. DCDC is located at 152 Gibbs Street.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Halloween will again be Xtreme in Rockville

Xtreme Halloween is returning to Rockville this year. The pop-up Halloween retailer is once again opening in the former Pier 1 Imports at 1590 Rockville Pike.


Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Rockville mayor elected to Maryland Municipal League board

Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton has once again been elected to the board of directors of the Maryland Municipal League, a non-profit association that represents 157 municipalities and 2 taxing districts across the state. Newton was also again named chair of the association's legislative committee. She will serve as a member at-large on the board.

Newton is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and is currently serving as First Vice Chair of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Fusion Supper Club for rent in Rockville (Photos)

The building home to the Fusion Supper Club Chinese restaurant at 316 N. Washington Street in Rockville is available for rent. Fusion appeared to be closed during business hours on Sunday, and calling the restaurant's phone number resulted in a message stating the number has been disconnected.

Friday, August 19, 2016

AT&T wants to build temporary cell tower at 13890 Glen Mill Road in Rockville

AT&T is proposing to build a temporary cell phone tower at 13890 Glen Mill Road, to provide 911 service to its customers while the City of Rockville rehabilitates its water tank at that site. During that work, the City will remove AT&T's existing tower from the tank. The work is scheduled to begin in early 2017, and AT&T plans to operate the temporary tower for 6-8 months, according to AT&T real estate manager Justin Barlow.
Site plan shows temporary
tower would be northwest of
the water tank, closer to
Glen Mill Road
Barlow said only 5 residents attended a recent meeting the company held to inform the community around the tower site. Single-family homes are directly adjacent to the site. The temporary tower would be 99' tall. Adding additional telecommunications towers to the tank has been discussed by the Mayor and Council as a way to increase revenue.
Side view of the proposed
temporary cell tower
Site plan renderings via City of Rockville

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Fire at Fallsgrove apartment building

A kitchen fire triggered the sprinkler system at an apartment building in the 700 block of Fallsgrove Drive around 10:45 PM last night. The small fire was quickly extinguished, but produced some smoke, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer. No injuries were reported.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

First look at retail building that will replace Timpano Italian Chophouse in Rockville

The future retail addition that will replace Timpano Italian Chophouse at Montrose Crossing shopping center is officially pre-leasing. In fact, the first space has already been leased by Allure. Now included in the Federal Realty property's site plan, the above image gives the first indication of how many retail/restaurant spaces the new building will add.

There will be 7 spaces in all, ranging from Allure's 1700 SF spot to the largest 4500 SF end unit. Montrose Crossing is located at the intersection of Montrose Parkway and Rockville Pike in the Pike District.

Map courtesy Federal Realty
Photo: Robert Dyer

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Chuy's aiming for October opening at Federal Plaza

Chuy's, the Mexican restaurant chain, is planning to open its first Montgomery County location at Federal Plaza this October. The restaurant has been under construction for the past several weeks; the target opening date was just announced by their PR firm.

Chuy's replaces Ruby Tuesday at the Federal Realty shopping center. It will be located at 12266 Rockville Pike.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Little Dipper Hot Pot House coming to Rockville

Hot pot dining is coming to Rockville Town Center. Federal Realty has found a new tenant for the vacant Noodles and Company space at Rockville Town Square, Little Dipper Hot Pot House.

There is already one Little Dipper in Annandale, and Rockville is quickly becoming the Asian dining capital on this side of the Potomac. Little Dipper serves hot pot soup in individual bowls, and diners select their protein, heat level, and other extra ingredients like rice, noodles, and vegetables.

You then cook your own meal at the table, using the open flame from ethanol chafing fuel. Little Dipper Hot Pot House will be located at 101 Gibbs Street.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Capriotti's is out, Pure Barre is in at Galvan; 9Round to open at The Terano in Rockville

Say it ain't so, Joe (Biden)! The much-hyped Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, a favorite of the Vice President, has pulled out of the Galvan at Twinbrook development, I have confirmed. Thanks to the anonymous tipster who brought this to my attention. I had wondered what was going on with that, given that the franchisee had set a fall 2015 opening date.

But the JBG development continues to lease up with other tenants, trading high-calorie sandwiches for a calorie-burning fitness studio - Pure Barre.

Not to be outdone in the sweat department, JBG's The Terano development is adding 9Round, a kickboxing gym that promises to burn up to 500 calories in 30 minutes. "Say goodbye to the boring big box gyms," the 9Round website advises.