Barnes & Noble raising the roof at Congressional Plaza in Rockville

It may or may not be a real upper floor, but a second level of architecture is being added above the future Barnes & Noble bookstore at Congressional Plaza on Rockville Pike. You may remember my update from December showed a frame structure rising on the front facade. 

Now there is a whole new roofline on top of that section of the strip mall, and it seems to be an attempt to match the higher floors of the Neiman Marcus last call STUDIO/new FITRow section directly adjacent to it, visually if not functionally. Having said that, anytime you have a bookstore with more than one floor, I will give you extra points for that. Also note that now the new front windows are uncovered.

Signs of Barnes & Noble arriving at Congressional Plaza, Modern Market closed

Tenants are coming and going at Congressional Plaza. Barnes & Noble has posted "Coming Soon" signage in front of its future space at the shopping center on Rockville Pike. The bookstore will open in 2020.

Meanwhile, Modern Market has closed at Congressional. It seems to have been a victim of Montgomery County's anti-business policies and moribund economy, as its Bethesda location also closed, and Modern Markets outside the County remain open.

Rockville construction update: Barnes & Noble at Congressional Plaza (Photos)

More news from Congressional Plaza in Rockville today. Construction on the future Barnes & Noble bookstore, opening in 2020, has begun in earnest across several empty storefronts. A covered pedestrian shelter has been erected to protect Plaza patrons during the work, and it also shows that this will be a more-complicated build-out than the typical tenant switchover.

Rockville Barnes & Noble hosting "Escaping Gilead" Handmaid's Tale event tonight at 7 PM

The Rockville Barnes & Noble will be hosting "Escaping Gilead," a discussion for fans of The Handmaid's Tale tonight, Thursday, July 25, 2019 at 7:00 PM at 12089 Rockville Pike, in the Montrose Crossing shopping center. According to the store's announcement, the discussion will cover both the book and television adaptation, and will also be an opportunity to meet other fans of the series. It's sure to be a popular draw in Montgomery County.

More "signs" of Barnes & Noble moving to Congressional Plaza in Rockville

Barnes & Noble won't be moving from Montrose Crossing to Congressional Plaza for more than another year. But their first "Coming Soon" signage has already gone up at their future space. Barnes & Noble is currently scheduled to downsize into this new format store in the summer of 2020.

Barnes & Noble Rockville store moving to Congressional Plaza (Photos)

Barnes & Noble will be moving its Rockville store from Montrose Crossing to Congressional Plaza next year. Federal Realty, which owns both shopping centers, has confirmed the move. This explains the recent relocations of several tenants at the shopping center from the wing on the north side of the property, which is where Barnes & Noble will be located.

Coming Soon signage in empty storefronts
for the future Barnes & Noble at
Congressional Plaza

What hasn't been announced yet is that the new Congressional Plaza location will be one of Barnes & Noble's new format stores, similar to the one it is opening at the Mosaic District in Northern Virginia. These stores are smaller in size, while still offering a cafe for customers unlike competitor Amazon Books at Federal Realty's Bethesda Row property.