Lakeforest Transit Center to be relocated and redeveloped at former Gaithersburg mall property

 

There's a new development in the redevelopment of the Lakeforest Mall site in Gaithersburg. A ceremony was held yesterday to kick off the first phase of a newly-announced partnership to relocate and redevelop the Lakeforest Transit Center. Transit is key to transforming the former community hub into a vibrant, mixed-use development, especially with no new highways or rail service planned for the massive housing and commercial growth that will occur.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Maryland State Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr, and County Councilmembers, including Marilyn Balcombe, Sidney Katz, Dawn Luedtke, and Laurie-Anne Sayles, joined Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Director Chris Conklin, WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments Principal Kevin Rogers, and other community leaders to celebrate the milestone.

The redevelopment is a joint effort between Montgomery County and WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments. WRS is set to redevelop the nearly 100-acre site into a dynamic mixed-use community featuring residential housing, entertainment, shopping, and public gathering spaces.

“Lakeforest Mall was a place where people came together for decades, and this redevelopment gives us a chance to reimagine this site,” Elrich said Monday. “Transportation, housing, and economic development are connected, and this project reflects that.”

The now-closed Lakeforest Mall holds a special place in the community, having served as the County's largest mall for a time and a well-known gathering spot for 45 years since its opening in 1978. Greed on the part of the mall's final owner, and chronic failure by County leaders to address violent crime and gang activity at the mall resulted in the disgraceful demolition of the once-luxurious shopping mecca now underway at the site.

The first phase of the agreement focuses on site preparation for the new transit center. WRS will prepare nearly two acres of land, which includes filling in a drainage pond and grading the site to make it build-ready. This initial phase is expected to take about one year.

Following the completion of site preparation, MCDOT will purchase the land from WRS and commence construction on the new transit center itself.

The new transit center will continue to serve the eight existing Ride On bus routes currently using the Lakeforest Transit Center. Crucially, it is also being designed with scalability to accommodate the future MD 355 Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. "The new transit center will support the nearly 2,000 riders per day who rely on the current Lakeforest Transit Center, as well as create capacity to accommodate the planned Flash Bus Rapid Transit corridor along MD 355 and any future developments," Conklin said.

Walnut Hill Shopping Center to add drive-thru Chipotle

Next year, you could be picking up a Chipotle burrito without even getting out of your car in Gaithersburg. The Walnut Hill Shopping Center at 16529 S. Frederick Avenue will be adding a Chipotle restaurant on the North Westland Drive side of the property. A bank building will be demolished to clear the way for the restaurant, which will have a drive-thru. The drive-thru will be only for online pickup orders, and is called a Chipotlane. There is at least one other Chipotlane in Montgomery County, at the Briggs Chaney Chipotle at 13801 Outlet Drive.

Andy's Pizza opens in Gaithersburg

Andy's Pizza has opened at 145 Commerce Square Place at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg. Andy's serves New York-style pizza in whole pies, or by the slice, and is quite an upgrade from previous tenant MOD Pizza. It is a double win to be able to order by the slice, with such high-quality pizzas. Next up for Andy's: a Montgomery Mall location in Bethesda.

Damascus bank branch to be auctioned off

A former Truist bank branch in the center of Damascus is about to be auctioned off. The building and associated structures are located at 9916 Main Street. This is a prime location for business, or for potential redevelopment as residential or mixed-use, with such redevelopment eagerly sought by the Montgomery County cartel, who have been working overtime to urbanize rural Damascus. They also want to jam as many Democrats as possible into the Republican town, before the U.S. Supreme Court declares their gerrymandered legislative and council district maps illegal. The opening bid is a ridiculously low $175,000, according to the online listing.

ICE arrests 2 on its "Worst of the Worst" list in Rockville

Nilo Herrera-Sanchez

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has located and arrested two men it says are on its "Worst of the Worst" list in Rockville. Agents from the ICE Baltimore, Maryland office arrested Nilo Herrera-Sanchez on November 7, 2025. ICE states that he is a Peruvian in the country illegally, and has been convicted of 2nd-degree rape and another 2nd-degree sex offense in Rockville. He is currently in custody at the Jena/La Salle ICE detention facility in Louisiana.

Jose Rivera-Medrano

Agents with the Baltimore office also arrested Jose Rivera-Medrano of El Salvador on November 6. According to ICE, he has been convicted of sexually abusing a child in Rockville. The ICE detainee locator returns no results for his current location.

Update on Andy's Pizza in Gaithersburg (Photos)

Signage has been installed at Andy's Pizza, opening soon at 145 Commerce Square Place at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg. More art has been added to the interior walls of the pizzeria. Furniture has been set up on the outdoor patio. Andy's Pizza will be opening here, and at a second Bethesda location in Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Tatte Bakery & Cafe, Mattress Warehouse construction begins in Gaithersburg

Wow, what a juxtaposition! Construction has begun on the former Buca di Beppo building at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg. According to the property leasing map, the building is being subdivided into two spaces. One half will hold the upscale New York-based Tatte Bakery & Cafe. The other half will go to Mattress Warehouse. The signing of Tatte Bakery & Cafe was first reported by The MoCo Show.

Criminals strike twice at Maserati dealership in Montgomery County

 

Montgomery County police are investigating two incidents at Criswell Maserati at 19570-A Amaranth Drive in Germantown. At 5:00 AM on October 28, 2025, two male suspects trespassed on the dealership property, and attempted to steal two cars. They were unsuccessful and fled.

Four days later, police responded to a burglary call at the dealership in the early morning hours of November 1. Officers arriving at the scene found evidence of forced entry to a building on the premises. They determined property had been taken from the dealership.

Police describe the suspects in the second incident as "two Black males or two Hispanic males" of unknown age. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing either of these cases, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Guapo's to open new Gaithersburg restaurant

Guapo's is opening a new restaurant in Gaithersburg. It will be a Guapo's Rotisserie Chicken & Tex Mex Grill concept, of which the local company operates three in Northern Virginia. This would be the first on our side of the Potomac. Guapo's has full-service Mexican restaurants in Bethesda, and at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg.

Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken is the specialty at the Guapo's Rotisserie Chicken locations. The new restaurant will be located at 12211 Darnestown Road, at the Quince Orchard Marketplace shopping center. That was formerly home to California Tortilla.

Song Dog Farm Distillery opens in Montgomery County (Photos)

Song Dog Farm Distillery has opened at 18100 Bucklodge Road in Boyds, Maryland. The distillery is located on a farm property in the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, and includes a tasting room, a "front porch" outdoor patio, and expansive lawns. Song Dog Spirits was founded in 2015 by the husband and wife team of Megan Draheim and David Harris, who purchased the farm in 2021, and constructed the facilities over the past four years. 

There is a tasting room menu, and food is also available from food trucks on-site, or you can bring your own. Kids and "well-behaved" dogs are also welcomed on the premises. Song Dog produces bourbon, rye whiskey, vodka, gin, and seasonal liqueurs, and all of their products reflect the agricultural produce and flavors of Maryland. Operating hours are 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM Wednesday through Friday, 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For a preview of their product line, and information on planning a private event at the farm, visit their website.

Heven AeroTech chooses Virginia over Maryland for new corporate HQ

Montgomery County and Maryland have failed yet again to win another corporate headquarters competition. The winner in the contest is a familiar one: Northern Virginia. Heven AeroTech is moving its U.S. headquarters from Miami to Sterling, Virginia. The firm specializes in the design, manufacture, and deployment hydrogen-powered, runway-independent drones around the world. Needless to say, this is a booming field, as drones are the future of warfare, and are also being utilized in a growing number of non-military sectors of the economy.

A quick look at the map shows once again the critical importance of having direct access to Dulles International Airport for economic development. Heven AeroTech's new HQ address, 45240 Business Court, is 4 minutes from the airport. It's also right adjacent to VA 28, in which the state has invested greatly to bring it up to interstate highway standards, by constructing numerous interchanges. That's the same VA 28 that Montgomery County and Maryland could have made a direct highway connection to via a new Potomac River crossing many years ago, but have defiantly chosen not to.

The results continue to speak for themselves. We are falling further and further behind in the game, at an accelerating pace. According to Business Facilities magazine, in Fairfax County alone, 75 of that county's 125 aerospace firms have moved or expanded there in just the last three years. Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single major new corporate headquarters - of any type - in over 25 years. 

Our "leaders" have made the deliberate decision to not give ourselves the Dulles advantage, and to continue to follow a tax-and-spend blueprint that is not only not competitive with rival jurisdictions, but now represents the greatest tax and fee burden in the entire region. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Leech Woods Haunted Trail opens Friday in Damascus

Halloween season is officially underway, and that means it's time to track down local haunted attractions. One of the highest-rated is right here in Montgomery County in one of our greatest towns, Damascus: Leech Woods Haunted Trail at 11201 Bethesda Church Road, and it opens this Friday, October 3, 2025. The trail and hayride have gotten high marks for creativity, originality, scare factor, and the pace of entry to ensure that you get your own experience on the trail, rather than crashing into the adventurers ahead of you. Past survivors also praise the high quality of the food and drinks that are for sale in the village from which you will depart - you've got to fortify yourself for the terrors ahead.

Make sure to read the FAQ on the website for important information regarding accessibility, clothing and shoe requirements, and parking and weather advisories. You can also buy tickets on there, of course. Also, if you are a traditional hayride fanatic, be forewarned that the separate Haunted Hayride attraction is not simply a standard hayride. You will explore the haunted Leech cemetery on foot, in between your rides out and back from that burial plot. There are fire pits in the village over which you can keep warm, and/or heat up s'mores from kits you can buy. In past years, there have been fortune tellers, merch to immortalize your survival, carnival games, axe throwing, and more in that spooky yet quaint village area. And there are plenty of "characters" to keep you diverted while you wait to enter the trail.

The founders of this attraction have wisely grounded the haunts in a chilling story inspired by the original inhabitants of the property, the Leech family, who met a grisly demise at the hands of truly demented people...or something else...during the brutal Maryland winter of 1804. Suffice it to say, there's enough negative energy on-site to overload your ghost radar and EMF meter. No wonder so many who have survived their trek on the Leech Woods Haunted Trail have reported getting quite a scare in their 5-star Yelp, and 4.7-star Google reviews.

Hunger increases in Montgomery County

An unhoused person sleeps in the 
doorway of the vacant former
Sir Walter Raleigh Inn in Bethesda

Poverty, homelessness, and hunger continue to increase in Montgomery County. A new report released by the Capital Area Food Bank indicates that food insecurity in Montgomery County has increased by 1% in the last year. In contrast, hunger levels dropped in Prince George's County, the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, and Fairfax County. Food insecurity in Washington, D.C. increased by 2%.

The report was based on a survey of Washington Metropolitan Area residents conducted this spring. Most of Montgomery County's population growth in recent years has been in the low-income range. Meanwhile, the County has failed to generate high-wage jobs, and has not attracted a single new major corporate headquarters in over 25 years. The moribund economy and inflated food prices have been a devastating combination for many. Those who once turned to dollar menus at fast food restaurants to get by can no longer do so, as inflation and imposition of high minimum wages in that industry have had the desired effect of those policies' architects, to force low-income and working class residents to turn to government and non-profits for sustenance. 

Damascus to "welcome" first marijuana dispensary in town, right next to Jimmie Cone

The town of Damascus is getting its first licensed marijuana dispensary. It will be located at 26400 Ridge Road (Route 27), right next door to Jimmie Cone. Damascus has a couple of smoke shops, but this will be the first licensed dispensary in town. Montgomery County and Maryland elected officials are all-in, all-in on smoking pot, and even the federal government is pondering legalization, leading one to wonder why failing government officials so very badly want their constituents to be on mind-altering drugs that can lead to cognitive disfunction, psychosis, and impaired brain development. Hmm. The Damascus dispensary is expected to open by early 2026.

Montgomery County to deploy 140 more speed cameras, 76 more red light cameras to juice revenue

The Montgomery County Council, in partnership with the County's representatives in the Maryland General Assembly and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, are opening a rich new vein of revenue in their ongoing effort to transfer the tax burden from real estate developers onto County residents. A new state law that will take effect October 1, 2025 will allow the County to greatly expand its speed camera and red light camera programs. With this legislative assistance from Annapolis, the Council plans to deploy 140 more speed cameras, and 76 new red light cameras, countywide starting next month.

While the Council claims the motivation is safety, their own internal numbers show that during the period studied from 2021 to 2022, the total number of injurious and fatal crashes increased despite the mass deployment of such ticketing cameras countywide up to that point. The County's economy has been moribund for most of this century, and the flight of the rich to lower tax jurisdictions in the area has robbed the County's coffers of huge chunks of revenue that it previously enjoyed.

At the same time, the Council has passed numerous tax cuts for the developer sugar daddies who fund their campaigns. This has further reduced County revenues, even as the Council has increased spending each year. The Council has found that, so far, County residents have not rebelled at the ballot box regardless of the number or size of the tax increases passed, or additional taxes levied. 

As a result, since the last decade, the Council has aggressively begun to shift the tax burden from developers onto the shoulders of residents. They have raised property taxes each year with the exception of FY-2015, in which they allowed a "tax cut" of approximately $12 for the average homeowner. A new energy tax, a massive new "recordation tax" on home sellers, and a new "rain tax" were among the new levies added to what was already the highest tax and fee burden in the Washington, D.C. Metro area.

Speed cameras and red light cameras were also deployed in a concerted effort to raise revenues. Having just passed a new tax cut for developers earlier this year that will cost the County's coffers billions of dollars over the next 20 years, it's no surprise that the Council is desperate to shake their constituents upside down even harder with this massive expansion of the camera program.

Using traffic enforcement ticketing as a revenue source has been shown to be one of the most-regressive taxation methods. Such tickets - with ever-increasing fine amounts up to $425 per ticket as of October 1 - can be devastating to those on the lower income end of the scale. That fits in line with the energy, rain, cell phone, and recordation taxes, all of which are also extremely regressive.

This trend will unsurprisingly continue in Montgomery County, as the Council has grown increasingly confident that there are no political consequences to raising taxes on residents by any amount tried so far. Insiders have reported that Council members have privately referred to residents as "losers" and "suckers" whom they can hit up for almost any new tax or tax hike they can imagine. The Council has dropped more and more taxation anvils onto residents in recent years, and no storied "tax revolt" has materialized.

Instead, the Council has found it has a "green light" to use the same sort of tactics that landed elected officials in Bell, California in prison a little over a decade ago. Like Montgomery officials, the Bell officials passed massive property tax hikes on residents (check), engaged in questionable land deals that were money winners for developers but money losers for taxpayers (check), added new levies such as a "sewer tax" (check), and ordered aggressive traffic ticketing (check), while raising their own salaries to outlandish new heights. Four Bell City Councilmembers and one Bell Mayor were sentenced to prison terms, as were the City Manager and Assistant City Manager.

Sixty Vines Gaithersburg construction update (Photos)

Sixty Vines, "the winemaker's restaurant," is nearing completion at 212 Ellington Boulevard at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. The interior is looking fairly posh, even compared to some of the other wine-centric restaurants in the area. Outside, signage has been installed, and is already lit up at night. Another sign indicates they are currently interviewing prospective employees. Sixty Vines is expected to open next month.

Nextdoor removes Rockville Charlie Kirk prayer vigil post

Nextdoor has removed a post informing users about Montgomery County-area prayer vigils being held for Charlie Kirk, the leader of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, who was assassinated last week in Utah. It included one taking place in Rockville on September 20. The Nextdoor user who posted it sent me a few screen shots of their post, which did not include any political statements, much less any offensive language. Some time later, the user was informed that their post had been hidden, and will ultimately be removed altogether, because a post about a timely event taking place in Rockville is supposedly a "non-local topic outside of a group."

The user has appealed the removal of the post. In contrast, comments promoting violence against Kirk that were posted in response to the vigil announcement have been allowed to remain on Nextdoor.

Montgomery County's newest parking lot is in Gaithersburg (Photos)

Montgomery County's newest parking lot is in Gaithersburg. An empty lot at the southwest corner of N. Frederick Avenue (MD 355) and Dalamar Street has just been paved over with asphalt. It appears to connect to the Megamart Supermarket parking lot next door at 33 Dalamar Street. More parking - don't tell the County Council!

ABC 7 to air Charlie Kirk tribute during Jimmy Kimmel timeslot Sept. 19

Local ABC affiliate WJLA Channel 7 will air a one-hour tribute to Charlie Kirk during what would ordinarily be Jimmy Kimmel's late night time slot in the Washington, D.C. market this Friday night, September 19, 2025. ABC 7 is owned by Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group, which along with rival broadcast firm Nexstar Media Group, successfully pressured the Disney-owned ABC network to suspend Kimmel indefinitely yesterday. Kimmel was suspended for making false statements about the assassination of Kirk, who was fatally shot during a Turning Point USA college event in Utah last week.

Kimmel has long been a pugnacious and vitriolic critic of President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, devoting many minutes of his program to attacks on both nightly. But he has never faced any serious consequences until now, and parent company Disney seemed quite content with Kimmel's shift from a late night comedy show to a hardcore political broadcast that trashed half of his potential viewing audience. What changed? 

Nexstar hopes to successfully pull off a merger with Tysons-based Tegna, which would bring more local TV stations into its nationwide portfolio, including local CBS affiliate WUSA 9. Disney and Sinclair may also have potential tie-ups down the road, which would similarly need the approval of a Trump or future GOP administration. As a result, this time they had to show some action on Kimmel's controversial remarks. 

Whether Kimmel will actually be canceled by ABC remains to be seen, but his return would certainly risk the ire of Trump. Disney will have to decide if defending the declining career of Kimmel would be worth potentially-major financial consequences for the entertainment giant in the future. Kimmel's ratings have plunged 11% as of the last reporting period, dropping him to third place in his time slot.

The ABC 7 Kirk tribute will be only one of the local events remembering the slain TPUSA founder this weekend. A candlelight prayer vigil for Kirk in Montgomery County is set for this Saturday night in Rockville.

Photo courtesy Salem Media Group

Charlie Kirk vigil to be held in Rockville on September 20

A vigil will be held for Charlie Kirk in Montgomery County this coming Saturday, September 20, 2025. The event will be held in Rockville at the Courthouse Square park, located at the corner of E. Jefferson Street and W. Montgomery Avenue in Rockville Town Center, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Saturday. There will be tributes to Kirk, prayers, and speakers. Kirk, the founder of the conservative political organization Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September 10 while speaking at the launch of TPUSA's latest college campus tour in Utah.