TOWN CENTER PHASE II, BIKEWAY MASTER PLAN ON ROCKVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA FOR OCTOBER 22

A new 6-story, mixed-use apartment building with 6000 SF of ground floor retail is on the agenda for the Rockville Planning Commission next Wednesday, October 22. The 275-unit building replaces the historic Suburban Trust Building, tragically demolished earlier this year at 255 N. Washington Street. It is one of several Town Center Phase II projects underway, with others by JBG and Brightview also moving forward.

The meeting will also include a work session on the Rockville Bikeway Master Plan, the results of which will impact automobile travel and parking in the city as much as cyclists. Wednesday's meeting will be at 7:00 PM, in the Mayor and Council Chambers at City Hall, and also broadcast live on Channel 11.

WHAT'S LEFT OF THE HISTORIC PINK BANK IN ROCKVILLE (PHOTOS)

What's left? Not much. The demolition of the historic Suburban Trust Building at 255 N. Washington Street may well be the most shameful land-use decision by the city since its disastrous "urban renewal" of the 1960s. Virtually the entire historic downtown was demolished back then, in contrast to Maryland cities like Frederick and Hagerstown, who have maintained their original downtowns as desirable assets. This recent demolition was opposed by Rockville's Historic District Commission, as well as by historic preservationists in the city.

The demise of the "Pink Bank" not only cost Rockville a rare example of New Formalist architecture, and a historic building that represented the primacy of the suburban lifestyle that defines Rockville. It also eliminated the "sense of place" developers often cite facetiously. Whether you liked the Pink Bank, or not, you knew exactly where you were when you passed it. The same cannot be said of the cookie-cutter town centers around the DC area, with few exceptions. All the same restaurants, shops and indistinguishable architecture leave the visitor puzzled and unimpressed. Why go "there," when all the same stuff is "here?"

Remnants of the bank's
drive-thru

The bank's drive-thru gate
is still standing

Just a pile

Mixed-use development
will replace the Pink Bank

ROCKVILLE PINK BANK DEMOLITION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

The shameful disgrace that is the demolition of the historic Suburban Trust Building in Rockville continues to unfold at a snail's pace. One might describe the slow destruction of the "Pink Bank" as a death by a thousand cuts. Here is where things stand right now at the site of this rare example of New Formalist architecture in the DC area, at 255 N. Washington Street:

A full moon caught in the
background, just left of
center in the photo

PINK BANK DEMOLITION BEGINS IN ROCKVILLE TOWN CENTER (PHOTOS)

Demolition of the historic Rockville building known as "The Pink Bank" has begun. The building was cleared for condemnation by the previous Mayor and Council on October 14. In its place will be a mixed-use development by Kettler. Most historic preservationists are dismayed by the demolition, and a sitting member of the city's Historic District Commission, Jessica Reynolds, took city leaders to task in a recent letter.

The New Formalist structure was built at 255 North Washington Street in 1965, when it was known as the Suburban Trust Building. This demolition is an unflattering reflection of our disposable society, and echoes the mass demolition of the city's original, historic town center decades ago.

ROCKVILLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WON'T STAND IN WAY OF WRECKING BALL IN PINK BANK DEMOLITION (PHOTO)

The unique building at 255 N. Washington Street, known as "The Pink Bank," is now almost certain to be demolished.

A bid to forestall demolition, via a possible historic designation process, failed at last night's Rockville Mayor and Council meeting by a vote of 2-3.

Councilmembers Tom Moore and Mark Pierzchala voted to allow the study of historic designation. Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio concurred with Councilmember John Hall's assertion that such a process would waste people's time, because neither would support historic designation in the end anyway. Moore responded that both officials - and possibly himself - would be out of office by the time such a vote would be taken.

Councilmember Bridget Newton also voted against the motion.

Originally the Suburban Trust bank building, it was built in 1965 and designed by architect Arthur Anderson. Some interior office space was reconfigured by another prominent Rockville architect, John Sullivan. Its singular design is an example of New Formalism, and I'm not aware of another example of it in the city of Rockville.

I agree with the comments of Rockville Historic District Commissioner Jessica Reynolds, who contrasted the landmark Pink Bank with the majority of today's Montgomery County architecture, which "all looks the same: cookie cutter."

Reynolds made the motion to recommend starting the historic designation process, which passed unanimously at the HDC's September meeting.

Most of today's new buildings could be anywhere. This stands in stark opposition to developers' claims that dense urbanization of the suburbs will establish a "sense of place" they somehow believe is lacking in decades-old suburban neighborhoods.

As HDC Chair Craig Moloney said, we are too quick to "throw our buildings in the dumpster."