Rockville construction update: King Farm townhouses (Photos)

The transformation of King Farm's business district into a residential area continues. Michael Harris Homes is making significant progress on their new townhome development, right near the Sheraton hotel and exit ramp from I-270.

Chuy's throws a party in Rockville (Photos)

Tex-Mex restaurant Chuy's celebrated its upcoming first restaurant in Montgomery County with a Redfish Rally last night. The new restaurant is scheduled to open in October at Federal Plaza, but the party was held at another nearby Federal Realty property, Montrose Crossing. Chuy's pitched a tent atop the parking garage there, and served up food and drink samples.

Chuy's chefs make fresh
guacamole on the spot

To emphasize the chain's commitment to fresh ingredients, chefs were making fresh guacamole and bartenders were squeezing fresh lime juice for margaritas all night long. To emphasize the company's commitment to the community, Chuy's announced that the local charity they will support is Hero Dogs, a Brookeville-based non-profit that trains and places service dogs with veterans who need them free of charge. Several hero dogs were in attendance, joining Chuy the Redfish and former Rockville City Councilman Tom Moore among the notable guests.

Chuy's plans to hire an impressive 175 employees at this restaurant. Those interested can apply in-person Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Chuy’s hiring office located at 1776 E. Jefferson Street, Unit #117, in Rockville.

Banner touts that
"everything is made
from scratch" at Chuy's

Another promotes their
fresh hatch green chiles

Free t-shirts

...although you could make
a charitable donation if you wanted

I can report that the
fresh-squeezed lime juice
made a noticeable difference
in the margaritas

Fiesta essentials
on display

Stringed lights hung
over the crowd

Chuy himself (herself?) made
an appearance

Montgomery County is
gaining on Austin in the
weird department every day

Sauces are so important
at Chuy's, that they have
their own webpage

Speaking of sauces,
a chef adds one to
an attendee's nachos

Chuy's brought along
some of their trademark
interior design accents -
hubcaps and...

...redfish

Meet hero dog
Mitch

Dawn Crafton Dance Connection grand opening September 1 in Rockville

Dawn Crafton Dance Connection has an evening of events planned for its grand opening on Thursday, September 1, at Rockville Town Square. The night will begin with a special dance performance on the square at 6:30 PM.

A ribbon cutting will follow. The new studio will be open afterward for tours and sample classes. DCDC is located at 152 Gibbs Street.

Halloween will again be Xtreme in Rockville

Xtreme Halloween is returning to Rockville this year. The pop-up Halloween retailer is once again opening in the former Pier 1 Imports at 1590 Rockville Pike.

Rockville mayor elected to Maryland Municipal League board

Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton has once again been elected to the board of directors of the Maryland Municipal League, a non-profit association that represents 157 municipalities and 2 taxing districts across the state. Newton was also again named chair of the association's legislative committee. She will serve as a member at-large on the board.

Newton is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and is currently serving as First Vice Chair of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board.

Fusion Supper Club for rent in Rockville (Photos)

The building home to the Fusion Supper Club Chinese restaurant at 316 N. Washington Street in Rockville is available for rent. Fusion appeared to be closed during business hours on Sunday, and calling the restaurant's phone number resulted in a message stating the number has been disconnected.

AT&T wants to build temporary cell tower at 13890 Glen Mill Road in Rockville

AT&T is proposing to build a temporary cell phone tower at 13890 Glen Mill Road, to provide 911 service to its customers while the City of Rockville rehabilitates its water tank at that site. During that work, the City will remove AT&T's existing tower from the tank. The work is scheduled to begin in early 2017, and AT&T plans to operate the temporary tower for 6-8 months, according to AT&T real estate manager Justin Barlow.

Site plan shows temporary
tower would be northwest of
the water tank, closer to
Glen Mill Road

Barlow said only 5 residents attended a recent meeting the company held to inform the community around the tower site. Single-family homes are directly adjacent to the site. The temporary tower would be 99' tall. Adding additional telecommunications towers to the tank has been discussed by the Mayor and Council as a way to increase revenue.

Side view of the proposed
temporary cell tower

Site plan renderings via City of Rockville