New beer and wine store coming to Norbeck Road

Beer, Wine & More is coming soon to 4007-BB Norbeck Road. The 1100 SF store will sell beer, wine, tobacco products, general merchandise, and have a deli section. It will be open daily from 9:00 AM to midnight, and the owner expects to open in March.

The Halal Guys to open February 16 in Rockville (Photos)

The Halal Guys have announced their new Rockville restaurant will open on Friday, February 16, 2018 at Wintergreen Plaza on Rockville Pike. Here's an exclusive sneak peek at the new restaurant's interior:

Pike Kitchen Asian food hall coming this summer to Rockville (Photos)

Pike Kitchen will bring the popular Northern Virginia Asian food hall experience to Rockville this summer. The 6209 SF food court will feature several eateries and vendors serving food and beverages from a variety of Asian countries, and will be located in the Edmonston Crossing shopping center at 1066 Rockville Pike (next to Taco Bell). Coming Soon signage has just been posted outside their space.

Tara Asia being cleared out in Rockville (Photos)

Tara Asia is being cleared out at Regal Row. A Rockville spinoff from the local Tara Thai chain at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue, it recently closed despite a 3.5 star rating on Yelp and a 4.5 star rating on Grubhub. You can see one of the exterior signs was ripped off and placed on the bar. I always thought they had a nice-looking dining room here.

Cafe Rio to open Rockville location

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill is expanding to Rockville. The Mexican chain that specializes in the cuisine of Northern Mexico’s Rio Grande region, Southern Texas, and New Mexico, will be located at 10062 Darnestown Road. A Cafe Rio spokesperson says they are currently hoping to open the Rockville location in June.

Rockville construction update: Research Row shopping center (Photos)

Research Row is one of the more-difficult development projects to photograph in Rockville, but it's actually got some height to it now. The completed shopping center will include One Life Fitness and Chick-fil-A. Hopefully the fast food drive-through allowed for in the project's approval is for the Chick-fil-A, unlike the walk-in only one in South Rockville. Research Row is located between a biotech building and Best Western on West Montgomery Avenue, and is visible from Interstate 270.

These type of neighborhood-scale
developments supported by recent
mayors and Planning Commissions
helped Rockville be named "Best Place
to Live in Maryland" by Money Magazine
last week

Rockville construction update: CAVA at Montrose Crossing (Photos)

CAVA will be opening early this year at Montrose Crossing, at 12037 Rockville Pike. There's still a ways to go here, as you can see. Neighbor Honeygrow in this new building at the property is now open.

Town Square Jewelers still open during renovations

Don't let the plywood over the front of Town Square Jewelers fool you; the store is still open. The Rockville Town Square jewelry store is just undergoing renovations.

Golf Galaxy closes in Rockville (Photos)

Golf Galaxy has closed in the Montrose Crossing shopping center. The golf "superstore" sold golf equipment, offered repairs and accessories, and had on-site instructional programs and driving range/putting green facilities with a PGA professional.

The last few years have been a mixed bag for the chain, which is owned by Dick's Sporting Goods. On the one hand, up to two-thirds of Golf Galaxy's locations were expected to close four years ago, locations the company termed "low-performing." Yet just last year, Golf Galaxy opened 36 new stores across 16 states.

Their Montrose Crossing space is now available for lease, according to a sign in the window.

The Daley to add a beer & wine store, dry cleaners, nail salon to Rockville property

Residents of The Daley at Shady Grove Metro apartments will soon have a suite of new on-site perks. Westside Beer & Wine, Inspire Nail & Spa and Fashion Cleaners will all open on the property's ground floor this year.

Inspire will be first to open early this Spring. Upscale craft beer & wine retailer Westside will be next in the summer. Expect Fashion Cleaners to also open this summer; the dry cleaners is locally-owned.

Tenants of the Bozzuto-EYA building already have an on-site Starbucks. The developers said in a statement Thursday that they have several additional retail tenants on the way, in addition to delivery of the townhouse portion of the Westside development adjacent to The Daley later this year.

UNIQLO to open store at Pike & Rose this fall

Global apparel brand UNIQLO will open a store at Federal Realty's Pike & Rose development this fall. This will be the retailer's first Maryland location, and its third in the D.C. Metro region. The 8000 SF store will be one of many new additions to the property this year, including the soon-to-open Canopy by Hilton hotel. It will be located at 11853 Grand Park Avenue.

Japan-based UNIQLO opened its first store in Hiroshima in 1984. As of today, it has more than 1900 stores in 19 markets around the world, including Japan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.K. and the U.S.

The Pike & Rose location will offer jeans made from authentic Japanese Kaihara denim, extra fine merino sweaters, and some of UNIQLO's fabric innovation lines like LifeWear, Ultra Light Down and the quick-dry/anti-odor AIRism. Apparel will be offered for men, women and children.

“Pike & Rose has quickly become the retail destination for the Montgomery County community,” Federal Realty’s Vice President of Leasing Stuart Biel said in a statement this morning. “We look forward to offering the internationally popular UNIQLO brand to the Pike & Rose neighborhood, its first location in Maryland.”

Kuya Ja's Lechon Belly to open at White Flint Plaza this Spring

Kuya Ja's Lechon Belly has been serving Filipino specialties at a pop-up location inside Gwenie's Desserts at 12113 Nebel Street. Now the owner is gearing up to launch a stand-alone restaurant in White Flint Plaza this Spring. According to the owner, the current pop-up will only continue for a few more weeks, before changing over to the new carryout restaurant. The restaurant will be at 5268-H Nicholson Lane.

Sherwin Williams to open new Rockville location

Sherwin Williams will open a new paint store location in Rockville this year. They have leased a 3200 SF space at 15215 Shady Grove Road, which has been home to Bank of America. Sherwin Williams has two existing stores in the Rockville area: one in Twinbrook, and another in Loehmann's Plaza.

Pour Vino n Hops coming to Rockville Town Center

Pour Vino n Hops will be the newest ground floor retail tenant at The Upton apartments at 44 Maryland Avenue in Rockville Town Center. This will be the second beer-and-wine based business at the Duball, LLC-developed property. World of Beer is around the corner facing "Regal Row." Pour Vino n Hops will be serving craft beer and wine, in addition to selling it.

MoCo Council asking Annapolis for eminent domain-on-steroids land grab power

For the third time in this term of office, the Montgomery County Council is trying to quietly ram a major change in the law through behind closed doors in Annapolis. In 2015, they tried to establish an Independent Transit Authority with unlimited taxation and debt power, and in 2017, they attempted a backdoor runaround the term limits voters had approved only months prior. This morning, they are exhorting the Montgomery County delegation to the Maryland General Assembly to expand and increase their eminent domain authority.

The bill, like the others, is being filed at the eleventh hour, and with no fanfare. Bill MC 27-18, "Eminent Domain - Expansion of 'Quick Take' Authority," would streamline the property seizure process related to highway and transit projects. For example, it would eliminate the ability to compare a property to similar pieces of land for the purpose of determining fair market value. The Council would also be able to force residents out of homes, and businesspeople out of commercial properties immediately, as long as they make an immediate payment of that potentially less-than-actual market value to the landowner.

Purple Line opponents suspect the law may be used in short order for eminent domain seizures related to that light rail project. That would fit the "heckuva rush" manner in which it is being put forward in Annapolis.

But looking ahead, this law would be equally handy in the quick demolition of more than 150 homes and businesses along Georgia Avenue between Olney and Wheaton, for the planned BRT route there. We know that from a state analysis, but we don't have similar numbers yet for which properties would end up being seized for BRT along MD 355 and Route 29. How might this also be used in the Veirs Mill Corridor sector plan, which is about to begin the process of approval before the Montgomery County Planning Board? Land seizures along Veirs Mill have been strongly hinted at by planners.

The late-filed bill will be introduced at the 9:30 AM session of the Montgomery County Delegation this morning. If the bill receives the necessary votes to advance, a public hearing will be scheduled. One question will be: will that hearing be held in Rockville, or Annapolis?

It's no wonder they held this bill from you, despite planning it for months, and are now attempting to file it quietly at the last minute!