Melashops misses opening date, Kay Jewelers gone dark at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Melashops has missed its expected October 1, 2023 opening date in its new space at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The sign on display at the future store location has been changed from "Oct. 1" to now say, "Opening Soon." 

Meanwhile, Kay Jewelers has been closed for several weeks, raising questions about its future at the mall. Signage is still up outside the jewelry store's space, and the inside of the store is still intact, just with drapes covering the display cases. The mall is usually quick to wall-up vacant spaces, but it's highly unusual for a business to simply close for an extended period like this, and there is no sign to inform customers about the reason for the closure.

Flagship Express car wash opens in Rockville

Flagship Express has opened at 785 Hungerford Drive (MD 355) in Rockville. The original Flagship Car Wash here temporarily closed so that the company could convert the site into its new Flagship Express concept. Express locations offer exterior automatic washes on flat-belt conveyors, 3 unlimited levels of membership packages, and free vacuums, towels and compressed air. The old self-service bays here have been demolished to make way for the Express facilities. Flagship has two other locations in operation in Montgomery County: North Bethesda, and Germantown.

Toll Brothers proposes redevelopment of Rockville townhome complex into condos

Developer Toll Brothers has proposed redeveloping a commercial townhouse complex at 622 Hungerford Drive (MD 355) at the north end of the Rockville Town Center area into a 2-over-2 condo complex. That style of building gives the visual appearance of 4-story townhouses, but inside, each townhome is actually two apartment units stacked one over the other. The proposed plan would include 48 condo units, with a maximum height below the city's zoning limit of 65' on this site. 15% of the property would be allocated to open space, under City of Rockville guidelines.

Each unit of the development, which would retain the Washington Square branding of the current townhome property, would have 2 parking spaces. There would also be 7 overflow parking spaces for guests. A central plaza, and a landscaped green space area at the south end of the property, would fulfill the open space requirements. The southbound slip lane to N. Washington Street by the U.S. Post Office would remain in place under the current proposal.

Current state of the property,
looking north

The College Square condominium association has expressed concerns about potential parking issues spilling over from the new development. Toll Brothers' attorney, Pat Harris, said that sales contract would specify that no parking is allowed on Ivy League lane. College Square is also concerned about the potential of owners at the future Washington Square development renting out their units. A Toll Brothers representative stated "our intention is that there would not be rentals [allowed] here."

Proposed configuration

After Toll Brothers submits its plans to the City of Rockville, a public hearing will be scheduled before the Rockville Planning Commission.

Images 1, 2 & 4 courtesy Toll Brothers

Rockville Wendy's renovations update (Photos)

Here's a look at the progress on the renovations at the Wendy's at 808 Rockville Pike, which is temporarily closed for this major project. The sad news is that the distinctive curved glass on the front roofline is gone, and won't be coming back. That, along with the curved facade at the front, was one of the unique architectural features that made this Wendy's building unique. 

What's replacing it is that new black-and-red scheme we recently saw installed at the Derwood location, which is a more standard Wendy's building. Keep in mind that a lot of the work is also inside the restaurant, as more environmentally-friendly kitchen equipment and a pick-up/delivery driver area are installed. Given that the Derwood renovations took about 90 days, and this Rockville project started in mid-August, a November reopening may be in the cards here.

Police called after assault at Rockville bar

Rockville City police responded to a report of an assault at a bar in the Rockville Town Center early yesterday morning, October 7, 2023. The assault was reported at an establishment in the 100 block of Gibbs Street at 12:00 AM Saturday. That is at Rockville Town Square.

Rockville bus shelter video screen smashed (Photos)

The video screen displaying transit information at the Ride On ExtRa bus stop on Rockville Pike at Edmonston Drive has been smashed. There is a large hole in the center of the screen. It appears to be the work of intentional vandalism, unless road debris generated by a passing vehicle struck the screen. Surveillance cameras at nearby businesses may show what happened if police investigate. The Ride On ExtRa service operates every 20 minutes during peak rush hour periods between the Lakeforest Transit Center and the Bethesda Medical Center Metro station along MD 355.

Moby Dick signage installed on Rockville Pike (Photos)

The sign is up at Moby Dick House of Kabob at 11431-A Rockville Pike in White Flint. Interior fit-out of the restaurant continues inside the former Verizon store space, as you can see by the work trucks and vans parked out front. The sign looks pretty sharp, especially if it will light up at night. Serving authentic Persian cuisine, the popular local chain that started in Bethesda in 1989 has 26 locations across the Washington, D.C. area, including an existing Rockville location in the Fallsgrove Village Center.