Baja Fresh to close in Rockville

Baja Fresh "has lost its lease, is shutting its doors, and making a complete liquidation" of the contents of the restaurant, which is located at 1607 Rockville Pike in the Congressional Plaza shopping center. So states an online auction listing, which indicates the sell-off will take place on Monday, July 22, 2019. The photographs illustrating the items up for bid clearly show the Rockville location, and distinctive Congressional Plaza columns and stone masonry.

Foulger Pratt CEO criticizes MoCo for failing to complete master plan highway system

Tells Bisnow, "there's no comparison"

between moribund MoCo and booming

Northern Virginia office markets

Foulger Pratt CEO Cameron Pratt is the latest regional business leader to speak out on the moribund Montgomery County economy, which has failed to attract a single major corporate headquarters in over two decades. That matters to the real estate firm, which has many Montgomery County office buildings in its regional portfolio. Pratt tells Bisnow in a new interview that "there's no comparison" between stagnant MoCo and booming Northern Virginia when it comes to office tenant interest. He cites MoCo official's cancellation of major parts of the county's master plan highway system as a major reason we've become the bedroom community for booming job centers in Northern Virginia.

Of course, Pratt notes that Northern Virginia is much more business-friendly in its policies, and is far more aggressive in wooing companies. Both factors can almost go without saying. But he zeroes in on infrastructure as a deciding factor, as have many CEOs who have chosen Virginia over Montgomery County in recent decades.

"I think the biggest challenge Montgomery County has is infrastructure," Pratt tells Bisnow's Jon Banister. "You look at Northern Virginia; they have two airports, they have a significant freeway system connecting the airports and the suburbs to downtown, and they’ve spent money to invest in HOT lanes, in extending the Metro to Dulles Airport. That infrastructure is because of decades of planing and investment and Montgomery has not made those same investments. Montgomery County does not have a freeway connecting the suburbs to downtown. It does not have significant airport infrastructure and has not extended Metro further out. They have not been willing to grapple with the important issue of another river crossing and if Montgomery County is not willing to make investments in infrastructure, I don’t think they’ll be able to attract employers and compete with Northern Virginia."

What a bodyslam. "That's gotta hurt, Gene." Pratt's interview comes ahead of next week's Bisnow-sponsored event that will focus on the future of business and real estate in Montgomery County.

Pratt is one of the few CEOs to publicly challenge County officials' ongoing refusal to complete the master plan highway system. Bob Buchanan, another County business leader willing to speak up, told transportation officials in Virginia that many of his MoCo business colleagues are afraid to challenge elected officials on their failure to build the new Potomac River crossing because of political pressure.

Montgomery County officials years ago canceled no less than three freeways leading into the District: the Northwest Freeway, the North-Central Freeway, and the Northern Parkway. They canceled the Rockville Freeway in the late 1980s, and are currently blocking the M-83 Highway from being constructed in the upcounty. And of course, they've prevented the new Potomac River crossing to the Dulles Airport area from being built for decades. Dulles has the wide variety and frequency of flights to international business destinations that corporate leaders need to be competitive. They simply cannot meet their travel needs at BWI or Reagan National, which themselves are infuriatingly long drives away from MoCo.

Imagine knowing what the solutions to a major problem are, and simply refusing to implement them. Under the current "leadership" of our MoCo political cartel-controlled Council, that is what passes for "The Montgomery Way." Heckuva job, Brownie!

Cooper's Hawk Rockville opening next week

Cooper's Hawk has set the opening date for their new Rockville location. The restaurant and winery will open Monday, July 15, 2019 at 1403 Research Boulevard in the new Research Row shopping center, a company spokesperson tells me.

You can see that the permanent signage has been installed on the facade of the restaurant. They've also already got an interesting assortment of wine bottles and containers arranged inside the front windows.

Closing sale underway at Saks Off Fifth in Rockville

The collapse of high-end retail in Montgomery County continues. A closing sale is now underway at Saks Off Fifth at Congressional Plaza on Rockville Pike. Items are 20-40% off, which somewhat undercuts the "Nothing Held Back!" claim. My guess is that unsold merchandise here will wind up at the many other Saks Off Fifth locations that remain open around the country.

Windows in the storefront display the "Everything Must Go!" signs now ubiquitous in shop windows around the county. Montgomery County has suffered a net loss of over 2100 retail jobs since 2000, according to the Maryland Retailers Association. The flight of the rich to lower-tax jurisdictions in the region has since cratered high-end retail centers in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, with the latter's once-touted "Rodeo Drive" of Wisconsin Avenue now a sad strip of vacant storefronts, aging apartments and smashed-out bus shelters.

Sign installed at Escapology in Rockville

The permanent sign and door stenciling have been added to the front of Escapology, coming soon to 11572 Old Georgetown Road at Pike & Rose. Like another escape room business in downtown Bethesda, this one has been severely delayed in opening, so it's encouraging to see some activity here.

Ding Tea opening in Rockville

Rockville is nearing "peak bubble tea," and the latest addition will be Ding Tea in the Ritchie Center, opening soon at 785-C Rockville Pike. It will be in the space next to Kiin Imm Thai.

eyebobs opens, Crabtree & Evelyn closes at Westfield Montgomery Mall

Westfield Montgomery Mall is one up and one down in tenants. Designer eyewear boutique eyebobs has opened on Level 2. Meanwhile, Crabtree & Evelyn has permanently closed.