Rockville construction update: World of Beer (Photos)

World of Beer is probably the future restaurant opening I am most asked about by readers. Here's a look at where things currently stand in the interior build-out. World of Beer is in the ground floor of The Upton apartment building, at the corner of E. Montgomery Avenue and Helen Heneghan Way.

Rockville construction update: Habit Burger (Photos)

The Habit Burger Grill has posted some Coming Soon signage at its future Wintergreen Plaza location. As you can see, there's still a long way to go on the interior build-out.

Shobha coming to Galvan at Twinbrook; Dunkin' Donuts posts signs (Photos)

Shobha, which aspires to be "the global destination for hair removal," is coming to Galvan at Twinbrook at 1800 Rockville Pike.

Dunkin' Donuts, meanwhile, has installed Coming Soon signage at its Galvan space. The interior build-out is still underway there, as you can tell from the photos below. Smashburger is primed to open at Galvan next Wednesday, as I reported last week.

Signage installed at Samovar at Rockville Town Square (Photos)

Samovar is the most intriguing addition coming to Rockville Town Square, as Russian cuisine is virtuallly non-existent in Montgomery County. The restaurant will also incorporate dishes from Central Asia into its menu. While the interior build-out has been underway for several weeks, all that is visible from the outside are the light fixtures, as you can see in the photo below.

There is no website, Facebook, or Twitter for the restaurant, which simply adds to the mystique, but it appears the opening is close.

Hooters of Rockville adds onion ring towers, stuffed burgers for NCAA tournament

Hooters of Rockville is featuring two new menu items for March Madness. Onion ring towers are apparently a permanent addition, while Stuffed Burgers will be available only through April 10.

1584 Rockville Pike

301-230-2134

Rockville Planning Commission approves 1900 Chapman Avenue townhome plan (Photos)

The Rockville Planning Commission unanimously approved a major site plan amendment for the 1900 Chapman Avenue mixed-use project last night. That amendment replaced a 339-unit apartment building with 61 townhouses. A second apartment building on the north side of the property, which is bordered by Thompson Avenue, the CSX railroad/WMATA right-of-way, Twinbrook Parkway and Chapman, remains in the plan. That building will hold 319 rental apartments, some office space, and in the future, potentially 3 to 4 retail spaces on the ground floor, according to the applicant's attorney, Nancy Regelin.

A new internal street, for which commissioners approved the name "Thompson Crescent" last night at the suggestion of Commissioner John Tyner, will provide access to both the multifamily building, and the townhomes. On the townhome side of the property, the street will function more as an alleyway, with the fronts of the townhouses facing the outward edges of the property.

The arrangement concerned several commissioners, particularly the homes that would front onto the railroad tracks to the east, and toward busy Twinbrook Parkway to the south. Noise concerns raised during the original 2-building application resurfaced last night. Commissioner Jack Leiderman noted that the new footprint of the townhomes was closer to the railroad tracks than the building they replace was to be. Regelin said construction materials and insulation would ensure noise levels inside the homes do not exceed the required limits.

In fact, some on the applicant's team pronounced the railroad proximity as a selling point for train buffs. There is a second factor near heavy rail facilities such as this, though. If you've ever been even a block or more away from freight trains, you know that there is also a tremendous amount of vibration through the ground and of structures as they pass. I wonder if the materials and construction of the homes are also designed to reduce vibration, as well.

Site plan - click to enlarge
for greater detail

Leiderman also questioned staff as to whether or not the requirement for 15% open space was being met by the new site plan. As you can see in the image above, it is now primarily in the form of a plaza on the townhome side, and a trail running around the outer perimeter of the property. A much thinner space along the railroad tracks replaces a slightly bigger one in the original plan. Leiderman also suggested that the townhome architecture proposed could have been more distinctive. Chair Charles Littlefield said he would like to have seen rooftop decks included on the MPDUs, just as they are on the market-rate townhomes.

But all seven commissioners commended the applicant after approving the project. Commissioner David Hill confessed he originally was skeptical of reducing density so close to Metro, but said the presentation had convinced him that this type of project could set Rockville apart from its high-rise-focused neighbors to the south. Leiderman said the project shows that there is a market in Rockville for both lower-density mixed-use projects, and for home ownership, as opposed to rentals. Even nearby residents were won over. The only member of the public to testify, a representative of the Cambridge Walk II townhomes, said his community was strongly in favor of the project.

The site was formerly home to Syms.

Duck Donuts opening today in Rockville

Duck Donuts is opening today at 1327 Rockville Pike, in the Sunshine Square shopping center. Their hours will be 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM.