Panera Bread reopens in Rockville Town Center

Earlier this month, I reported that Panera Bread would be reopening after a long pandemic closure at 219 E. Middle Lane in Rockville Town Center. The store has now officially opened for business again. Among the items on the summer menu are Summer Corn Chowder, a Chipotle Chicken and Bacon flatbread pizza, and frozen strawberry lemonade.

IT'SUGAR, late of Rockville Town Square, to open at Montgomery Mall

While the brief trend of upscale candy stores at town centers ended up sinking in spectacular fashion, it turns out there was enough room on the door for IT'SUGAR. The candy shop closed at Rockville Town Square at the end of 2020. Now it will get another chance at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda.

IT'SUGAR will be located on Level 1 in the Nordstrom wing, by Everything But Water. Will the late Sugarfina at Bethesda Row get a bonus life at the mall? Not likely, as that chain went into bankruptcy. Both shops had some interesting novelty items during their short runs, like Donald Trump and Super Mario. I'll buy that for a dollar!

Shake Shack coming to Rockville Pike

Incredible news from the White Flint area of Rockville Pike: Shake Shack will be the new tenant in the fast food restaurant building recently vacated by Arby's at 11710 Rockville Pike. Shake Shack is also opening a location not far away at Westfield Montgomery Mall. But what makes this new location just revealed by the Washington Business Journal so exciting, is that it will have a drive-thru. The line will likely be backed up onto the Pike when the restaurant first opens.

Part of Baltimore Road in Rockville to close until October

The latest phase of improvements to Baltimore Road in Rockville will require an extended closure of part of the street. On or about June 23, 2021, the segment between Gladstone Drive and Broadwood Drive will be closed, and remain closed until October. Detour signs will reroute drivers via Broadwood and Edmonston Drive. There will also be signs to direct pedestrians to a pedestrian detour.

Part of the project will be replacing a culvert over a stream that flows beneath Baltimore Road near Rockville Cemetery. Storm drain installation and stream restoration will also be performed during the closure. The closed segment should reopen by mid-October, the city announced yesterday. Baltimore Road will be resurfaced when all of the projects are completed, and that should wrap up by spring 2022.

Rockville construction update: Amazon Fresh grocery store on Shady Grove Road (Photos)

Here's a look at the progress on the construction of the Amazon Fresh grocery store at the 270 Center on Shady Grove Road. This was previously Office Depot, until Amazon added it to a growing number of grocery store locations it plans to open in the region.

Power outages in Rockville, Derwood

There are two small power outages in the Rockville area this morning. One is near the intersection of Edmonston Drive and Veirs Mill Road. The other is in Derwood, close to the intersection of Redland Road and Needwood Road. Pepco estimates power will be restored to customers in both outages by 1:00 PM this afternoon.

More renovations planned for Rockville Target store

After a significant remodeling in 2019, more interior changes are now planned for the Target store at 5700 Bou Avenue in Rockville. In addition to further changes to enhance grocery pickup services, the project will include new lighting fixtures, flooring, and changes to wall finishes and ceilings. Work is expected to begin this summer. 

Montgomery County police union trolls elected officials on social media for defunding police amid crime wave

Montgomery County's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35 criticized County elected officials on social media Thursday for "defunding MoCo police" amid a crime wave. The posts on Facebook and Twitter called out County Executive Marc Elrich and the County Council for eliminating 27 police officer positions in the budget. They also cited violent crimes in the county that made area headlines in the last few days.

"3 carjackings in 2 days (2 @ gunpoint, 1 w/ serious injuries) when is @MontCoExec and @MoCoCouncilMD going to get their priorities straight and stop defunding MoCo police?" the posts asked. Officers have reported that morale on the force and officer recruiting efforts are both trending downward.

"Just because of the, so much of the anti-police sentiment, not being treated well," County Officer Petr Speight told CBS' Ted Koppel in a report aired Sunday. "Those kind of things are just discouraging people from wanting to stick around. Things have just changed, the way people view us, and the way they view our role in society and our jobs."

While anti-police sentiment has markedly increased after the death of George Floyd, declining police morale has actually been trending in Montgomery County for more than a decade, based on what officers have told me over that time period. The County Council tried to slash disability benefits for officers in 2009, approving a modified version of that plan in 2011. Councilmembers, and the Washington Post editorial board, falsely characterized officers seeking disability benefits as schemers and scam artists without evidence to back up those claims. Both have publicly criticized County police on a regular basis for a variety of grievances since that opening move.

Rockville Mayor & Council to discuss potential litigation regarding Maryland Express Lanes project in closed session

Rockville's Mayor and Council will discuss potential litigation related to "a construction project" and the "P3 I-270 expansion project" in closed session at its Monday, June 14, 2021 meeting, which begins at 5:30 PM for that purpose. The Mayor and Council have spoken against the I-270 Express Lanes project over the last few years, since it was proposed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

Curbside EV charging stations proposed
for multiple locations in Rockville

When the Mayor and Council reconvene in public session Monday night, they will consider approving increased fines for parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, a contract with Pepco for electric vehicle charging stations throughout the city, support for excavation improvements in the public right-of-way for the B.F. Saul Twinbrook Quarter project, and a $299,600 contract to install sewer grinders at the N. Horners Lane and Fallsgrove Sewage Pump Stations.

Proposed locations for Pepco
curbside EV charging stations

Also on the agenda is a public hearing on the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Master Plan, and a project plan for a new retail center long in the works at 900 Rockville Pike. The Mayor and Council could choose to approve that project Monday night, or simply discuss it and recommend next steps to city staff.

Images courtesy City of Rockville

New Rockville skate park opens

Skate or die! The new and updated Rockville Skate Park has opened at 355 Martins Lane. Gone is the 2001-model wood and steel park. In its place are concrete ramps and bowls, and new rails. Other features include an entrance building with a family/gender-neutral restroom, lighting, landscaping, parking, a stormwater management facility, and access road improvements. The park was designed and built by Spohn Ranch of Los Angeles, in coordination with input from the skating community in Rockville.

Challenges at the park include a kidney bowl, manual pads, quarter pipes, a radius wedge, a rainbow grind rail, a grind ledge, a slappy curb and pole. Whether you know what those terms mean or not makes no difference; the City says the park is designed for all ages and skill levels.

The park’s hours are: 3-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The park is closed on Mondays through Tuesday, June 15. Summer hours, beginning Wednesday, June 16, are noon-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Helmets are required; a few loaner helmets will be available at the park. Staff at the park will strictly enforce the helmet rule during operating hours.

Photo courtesy City of Rockville

Google Street View car spotted in Rockville (Photos)

Google is updating Street View in the Rockville area at the moment. This Google Street View car was caught trolling through the city in recent days.

Panera Bread to reopen in Rockville

It was surprising when Panera Bread closed during the pandemic at 219 E. Middle Lane in Rockville Town Center. While office workers and courthouse-related traffic were greatly reduced in number, Panera is well suited to thrive on takeout orders. Instead, the location closed. Now I've learned that this Panera Bread will reopen soon, and is hiring for all positions.

Aerie coming to Montgomery Mall

Aerie, a sub-brand of American Eagle Outfitters, is coming to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The apparel retailer carries women's intimate apparel, activewear, leggings, and swimsuits. Soft fabrics are a trademark of the chain. Aerie is opening this summer, and will be located on Level 1.

Shake Shack opening Montgomery Mall location (Photos)

More good news for Westfield Mongomery Mall in Bethesda this week. Yesterday, I reported that AMC Theatres is considering taking over the strongest of the ArcLight Cinemas locations, such as possibly the shuttered ArcLight at the mall. Now there is "coming soon" signage up in the Dining Terrace food court for Shake Shack, one of the most popular burger chains in the country. It's unclear what Shake Shack's ongoing aversion to downtown Bethesda is, and this means still no Shake Shack drive-thru, but it does mean a very high-quality addition to the dining options at the mall.

Rockville gun dealer, others sue Montgomery County over new ghost gun law

Montgomery County is being sued in County Circuit Court over its recently-passed ghost gun law. Bill 4-21, passed by the Montgomery County Council on April 6, restricts the possession, use, sale, and transfer of ghost guns, undetectable guns, and certain other firearms within 100 yards of places of public assembly; restricts the possession, use, sale, and transfer of ghost guns, undetectable guns, and certain other firearms with respect to minors; and requires the Montgomery County Police Department to submit an annual report to the County Executive and the County Council regarding the availability and use of ghost guns and undetectable guns in the county. The new law is scheduled to go into effect July 16. But a new lawsuit says the law violates Article XI–E, § 3 of the Maryland Constitution, as well as other statutes on the books.

Maryland Shall Issue, Inc., a leading 2nd Amendment rights organization in the state, gun retailers, and several Montgomery County residents are plaintiffs in the suit. They seek to overturn the law, and to be compensated for damages and legal fees. 

The new law's provision on software designs for ghost guns violates the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the suit alleges. A recent 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision, said the 1st Amendment protects such computer code. New restrictions on possession and business transactions, as well as the overall "vague language" of the law, violate the Maryland Takings Clause (Article III § 40) and the Due Process Clause (Article 24)  of the Maryland Declaration of Rights 

Engage Armament, a gun retailer in Rockville, is one of the plaintiffs in the case. Its owner says the new County law prevents some transactions the store has been able to complete under existing federal and state laws, such as the sale of legal firearm components for assembly, and of computer code for such assembly. The store also falls within 100 yards of a place of public assembly as defined by the County Council, and has until now been able to legally make a firearm sale in the presence of a minor who is accompanied by a parent.

The lawsuit being filed also alleges the new ghost gun law violates the Maryland Express Powers Act, noting that Montgomery County cannot pass laws in conflict with existing state law. Montgomery County is attempting to redefine public gathering places as any ordinary private property that has current or future potential as a public gathering space, the suit alleges. Maryland law regarding the transfer of firearms preempts new restrictions being passed by local governments, it further notes. The suit is Maryland Shall Issue, Inc., et al vs. Montgomery County, Maryland.

AMC Theatres considering acquiring "strongest" ArcLight Cinemas locations

There's a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon for the shuttered ArcLight Cinemas at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Rival AMC Theatres' CEO Adam Aron said yesterday on Twitter that his chain is considering acquiring the "strongest" ArcLight locations that were recently permanently closed due to pandemic losses. Aron said the potential expansion into ArcLight locations was one reason for a recent sale of AMC stock that netted the cineplex operator $230.5 million.

The CEO did not identify which ArcLight locations he considered the strongest, but said the ArcLight option is at the very top of his list for the newly-aggressive firm. "Watch out naysayers," Aron tweeted Tuesday, "$AMC is going to play on offense again. Here we come!" 

If the Montgomery Mall ArcLight were to become an AMC, it could be a great turn of events for the mall and moviegoers alike. Without the draw of the very-expensive ArcLight addition that topped a $90 million expansion and renovation over the last decade, the future of the mall is in serious question. And AMC's Dine-In theater model could easily fit into the existing setup at the ArcLight, bringing AMC's upscale entrees, milkshakes and MacGuffins Bar to the mall cineplex.

Rockville Safeway near future Wegmans location considering exit option

"Wegmans Effect" already being felt

The grocery store's first brick hasn't even been laid yet, but the Wegmans effect may already be palpable in Rockville. A real estate source tells me the Safeway store located one block south of the future Wegmans site is actively seeking a tenant to sublease its space at 1800 Rockville Pike. The Safeway store currently has a 20-year lease at the recently-built Galvan at Twinbrook development.

If Safeway were replaced with a new tenant under a sublease, it would be a blow to the community and the Galvan. The grocer is the anchor retail tenant at the development, occupying a 62,753 square foot retail space on the ground floor. As anchor, it's counted on by the other businesses to drive retail traffic to the site. And Twinbrook lost its original Safeway store when this one was planned to replace it.

Contrary to what you would expect from an upscale grocer like Wegmans, their prices are about 14% lower than Safeway's in the D.C. area, Consumers' Checkbook found. Yet Wegmans' products and produce have a reputation for being superior in quality to local competitors.

Aside from the intense competition Wegmans will provide for local shoppers, Safeway may also be suffering from a problem created by both the design of the Galvan, and City of Rockville sign regulations. With a setback from Rockville Pike required by past visions of a parallel service road, and a lack of large, driver-facing signage, it's frankly hard to know which businesses you are passing at the Galvan while facing forward to monitor the road ahead. It's no wonder developer B.F. Saul fought - successfully - to obtain the right to build up to the edge of Rockville Pike for its Twinbrook Quarter development, which will be anchored by the Wegmans.

Sports & Social construction begins in Rockville

The construction process to build the new Sports & Social at 11800 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose is now underway. Destruction is the first step, however, and it's sad to see the elaborate interior of former tenant Del Frisco's Grill being demolished. It was almost 7 years ago that Del Frisco's opened with a memorable VIP party, which showed off the upscale decor.

Armed carjacking in Rockville

City of Rockville police are searching for a vehicle stolen at gunpoint this morning. At 3:38 AM in the 200 block of Congressional Lane, three black males allegedly put a gun to the victim's head, and drove away with the victim's wallet and white 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander. The Outlander's license plate is Maryland tag number 6CP4813. Police ask you to call 911 immediately if you see this car.