Lululemon soft-opening today at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Lululemon has set the opening date for its new space inside Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Its current space has now closed to facilitate the move to their new storefront, which is in the mall center court on Level 1, between Psycho Bunny and Sleep Number. The new store - which was still walled off as of last evening - will hold a soft opening today, September 4, 2025. A grand opening will be held this Saturday, September 6.

Rocket Money to flee Montgomery County for Washington, D.C.

The latest economic development defeat for Montgomery County is coming to us from one of the hardest-hit places in MoCo's revenue exodus, downtown Silver Spring. Rocket Money, a fintech startup located at 8455 Colesville Road, is nearing a deal to relocate its headquarters to Washington, D.C., according to a report in the Washington Business Journal. The new Rocket Money HQ is expected to be located in a recently-constructed office building at 1701 Rhode Island Avenue NW. Last home to a WeWork location, the building boasts "a unique facade constructed of pre-aged copper shingles, individually hand treated by an artisan in Italy," in the words of its architectural design firm Hickok Cole.

Silver Spring already sustained one of the biggest body blows to the Montgomery County economy in history, when one of the County's few remaining Fortune 500 companies, Discovery Communications, moved its headquarters to dual facilities in New York City and Tennessee. Infamously, Discovery's suitors quietly closed the deal while the Montgomery County Council was debating a ban on circus animals. The ban passed, but so did the opportunity to retain Discovery.

Of course, Rocket Money is not a Fortune 500 company, and has far fewer employees than Discovery. But it is a prominent fintech in the region, with significant future potential. Its parent company, Rocket Companies, has made the Fortune 500 in the past, but is currently off the list at #619 as of June. Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single new major corporate HQ in over a quarter-century.

Once again, Montgomery County's highest-in-the-region tax and fee burden has bitten the County in the [pocketbook]. Another recent and devastating blow is the new Maryland "tech tax," a 3% levy on all IT services in the state that was championed to passage by Governor Wes Moore, before he left for an Italian vacation at the lake villa of George Clooney. Imagine what that tax would add up to annually for a tech firm like Rocket Money! And that's on top of that already biggest tax burden, courtesy of the County Council and Maryland General Assembly. What company in their right mind would not move if they could? Heckuva job, Brownie!

Man facing charges over alleged cocaine use in Rockville park

A man was observed using some form of cocaine in a Rockville park on August 30, 2025, Rockville City police report. He was also allegedly in possession of drug paraphernalia. The incident occurred at 10:05 AM last Saturday at Twinbrook Park, off of the 13200 block of Atlantic Avenue. Police say charges are forthcoming in the case.

Sula Latin Market opens in Gaithersburg

Sula Latin Market has opened at 122 E. Diamond Avenue in Olde Towne Gaithersburg. Just ignore the "coming soon" banner on the building. The Latin grocery store is located right across the street from Cancun Mexican Cuisine. Operating hours for the supermarket are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week.

Ba Le sandwich shop nears opening in Rockville (Photos)

The interior fit-out of Ba Le, a bánh mì sandwich shop opening in Rockville, appears nearly complete. Kitchen and counter equipment, as well as refrigerated cases for beverages and neon window signs, are in place. It is located at 765-FG Rockville Pike, at the Ritchie Center. You can see the Eiffel Tower in the restaurant's logo, which emphasizes that the world-famous Vietnamese sandwiches start with a French baguette sliced lengthwise, before they are filled with the ingredients of your choice. Ba Le replaces another Vietnamese restaurant, Ốc & Crab Seafood Restaurant, in this spot at Ritchie Center.

Parking lot dustup leads to assault in Rockville

Rockville City police were dispatched to a parking lot on August 24, 2025, after an assault was reported there. The assault was reported in a commercial parking in the 800 block of Rockville Pike at 4:45 PM. According to police, a worker cleaning the parking lot blew debris onto a person, and that person became angry and assaulted the worker. Police did not indicate whether the worker's action was intentional or accidental.

5 robbers gang up on victim in Rockville

Five would-be robbers ganged up on a man in Rockville on August 20, 2025, Montgomery County police report. The man was confronted by five men in the 12400 block of Parklawn Drive at 10:11 PM. They allegedly assaulted him, and attempted to steal his money, but were unsuccessful. Police did not say how the victim managed to outwit and out-muscle his five opponents.

The suspects are described only as 4 Black males of unknown age, and a fifth man of unknown age who is either Black or Hispanic. If you can identify any of the suspects, or have any information about this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.