Elrich Talks About the Importance of the Wheaton Redevelopment Project

County Executive Marc Elrich participated in filming a brief video about the importance of the Wheaton Revitalization Project. Elrich said he was very happy and excited about the new building and Town Center Plaza, which have created a community gathering and entertainment space that will be used daytime and nighttime, during the week and weekends.

Elrich continued that Wheaton is home for him. He went to Einstein High School, his first job was at Wheaton Plaza at Embassy Father and Son, he used to race his cars at the racetrack on Georgia Avenue and he still eats at Filippos Sub Shop, which was just voted the best one in Montgomery County.

And now, he stated, after his history in Wheaton, it is so great to see how Wheaton is being transformed through major investments. His hope is that Wheaton’s new Town Center will attract more businesses and companies that interact with Park and Planning and the other newly relocated agencies and departments to move their offices nearby. Bringing more employment to Wheaton will support restaurants and services, enliven the area, and further boost the local economy.

According to Elrich, the consolidation of so many agencies and departments that work closely together and provide related services will greatly increase government communication and efficiency and improve the public’s access.

Officials Hold Ribbon Cutting to Celebrate Wheaton Revitalization Project

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Sidney Katz and MCDOT Director Chris Conklin
led ceremonies dedicating the 14-story County office building on September 3

As The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), the first occupant and building owner of Wheaton’s newest office building, began moving in, County officials celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony that observed distancing guidelines.

Those in attendance or who filmed short video presentations included:

• County Executive Marc Elrich
• County Council President Sidney Katz
• County Councilmember Nancy Navarro
• County Councilmember Andrew Friedson
• County Councilmember Hans Riemer
• Montgomery Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson
• Planning Board members Gerald Cichy, Natali Faní González, Tina Patterson and Partap Singh Verma
• Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin
• Montgomery Parks Director Mike Riley
• Planning Director Gwen Wright

View ceremony photos.

 

Learn More About the Wheaton Project’s Features

The Wheaton Revitalization Project provides a 14 -story, Class “A,” 308,000-square-foot government office building designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum (the highest) certification standards; a 397-space below ground parking garage; a new Town Square; and ground level retail space.

The office building’s environmental features include:

• An energy system assisted by a geothermal field of about 150 wells;
• Solar roofs​ (2nd floor rooftop and tower rooftop)​;
• Green Roofs ​(2nd floor and tower rooftop)​;
• Green/living wall (main lobby)​;
• Onsite management of storm water and treatment of runoff;
• Silva-cells to promote large tree growth;
• Biofiltration pits to capture and degrade pollutants;
• High-efficiency water fixtures to reduce typical usage by nearly 40 percent;
• Higher efficiency building insulation using exterior shading;
• Punched windows to provide more interior light;
• A high-performance rain-screen to increase building wall durability;
• High-efficiency LED lighting and electric vehicle charging stations in the garage;
• Destination elevators.​

The Town Square/Plaza will provide a downtown gathering space to enhance both daytime and nighttime activities. Its features are listed below:

• Management by the Wheaton Regional Services Center/Urban District​;
• Event planning handled by the Mid-County Regional Service Center​;
  
• Dedication of the Town Plaza to Mariam Friar, lifelong Wheaton activist;​
• Event stage with canopy cover and amphitheater seating;
• Artwork​;
• Fountain;
• Elevated walkways to and from the Georgia Avenue and WMATA Garage.​

In addition, 12,000 square feet of ground floor retail space has been allocated along Triangle Lane.

The project team included:

• Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Director Chris Conklin and former Director Al Roshdieh;
• MCDOT’s Parking Management Division Chief Jose Thommana;
• MCDOT Parking Management Division Project Management Team, which included Jeremy Souders, Alex Kinyenje, Adrian Labor and Marcelo R. Cortez;
• O' Connell & Lawrence - MCDOT's On-site Consultant Construction Management Team (Keith Compton);
• StonebridgeCarras - Developer;
• The Bozzuto Group;
• Gensler - Architect;
• SK&A - Structural Engineer;
• GHT Limited - Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineer;
• Oculus - Landscape Architect;
• Bohler Engineering - Civil Engineer;
• Clark Construction Group - General Contractor.

Meet the Agencies and Departments Moving to Wheaton

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will be the owner and manager of the new Wheaton office building, which will also house six other County departments and agencies.

In addition to the M-NCPPC, the departments and agencies are:

• Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
• Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Licensure and Regulatory Services Section
• Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services
• Montgomery County Department of Recreation
• The Office of Community Use of Public Facilities
• The Mid-County Regional Services Center/Urban District

The co-location of so many departments and agencies responsible for permitting of residential, community-oriented and commercial entities will promote greater collaboration and efficiencies and provide the public with a one-stop shop for many of their needs. 

"Our licensure & regulatory services staff look forward to serving resident’s and business owner’s needs in their new offices in Wheaton.  Being co-located with other permitting functions is essential to provide good customer service," said Raymond Crowel, director of the County's Department of Health and Human Services.

Revitalization Project Brings More Transformation to Wheaton

The Wheaton Revitalization Project is yet another milestone in the ongoing process to invest in Wheaton and promote economic and community vibrancy. The office building will bring 980 employees and an expected 157,000 annual visitors to Wheaton.

During the last four years, Montgomery County has made significant investments in Wheaton, including:

• Completion of the Wheaton Library (photos) and Community Recreation Center (photos);
• Modernization of Wheaton High School and Thomas Edison High School of Technology
• Re-designation by the State of Maryland of Wheaton as an Arts and Entertainment district
• Opening of the Charles W. Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center (photos)
• The new revitalization project will further enhance smart growth, expand employment opportunities and boost the desirability of Wheaton as a daytime and nighttime destination.
  

A Look Back at the Wheaton Revitalization Groundbreaking Ceremony

View more event photos.

In June 2017 at the annual “Taste of Wheaton” County festival, officials broke ground for the Wheaton Revitalization Project that has transformed the former Mid-County Regional Services Center building and adjacent County-owned parking lot into a LEED Platinum County office building, Town Square civic space, underground parking garage and Triangle Lane retail space.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation- led project had the following goals:

• Save the County money by moving hundreds of employees from leased space to a more cost-effective publicly owned building; 
• Boost Wheaton’s downtown economy; 
• Promote a vibrant daytime and nighttime street life with a centrally-located public space;
• Improve mobility;
• Encourage Wheaton Metro Station use;
• Enhance the environment; 
• Increase the diversity of employment opportunities and services in the Wheaton area;
• Read more about the groundbreaking.

Read the press release.

MCDOT Delivers Innovative Wheaton Revitalization Project

 

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) led the development and construction of the new Wheaton Revitalization Project – one of the largest projects of its kind ever built by the County. Construction of the project took 39 months and cost about $179 million. It was completed on time and within budget. Learn more.

MCDOT brokered the innovative public-private partnership that not only developed the Wheaton Revitalization project, but also led to a land swap to create a new Georgia Avenue gateway to Silver Spring, comprised of a mixed-use development on the former site of the headquarters of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). The joint venture created 1.1 million square feet of new development with affiliates StonebridgeCarras, LLC, and The Bozzuto Group.

“I am very proud that MCDOT has played a pivotal role in creating this smart-growth, transit-oriented development that has set a new design standard for public facilities in Montgomery County,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin.