Construction has started on a grocery store on Shady Grove Road in Gaithersburg, according to online construction filings.
According to the online database Construction Journal, construction started on the 31,137-square-foot store this month at 15790 Shady Grove Road, which formerly housed an Office Depot.
The Washington Business Journal and other media outlets started reporting last year that an Amazon Fresh will go in the space.
However, the company has not confirmed the reports. On Tuesday, Amazon spokeswoman Laura Hayes wrote in an email responding to questions from Bethesda Beat about the Gaithersburg property that the company is “not commenting on this.”
Anthony Ricciuiti, the executive vice president for retail of the architect NORR, told Bethesda Beat on Tuesday that he was “not at liberty” to discuss the Gaithersburg project.
Evidence of construction was visible at the property on Tuesday. A fence has been temporarily erected around the front, and there are wooden boards along the outside of the building. There was no visible signage indicating the future tenant on Tuesday afternoon.
Hayes, however confirmed on Tuesday that Amazon Fresh will go into the space at 5463 Wisconsin Ave. in Chevy Chase, which was formerly occupied by Giant.
Amazon previously confirmed that an Amazon Fresh would open in Chevy Chase, but did not provide the specific location.
Hayes declined to provide an opening date for the Chevy Chase store on Tuesday.
In the Construction Journal entry for the Chevy Chase store, the project is named “Mendel’s Grocery” and lists Amazon as the tenant. Similarly, the Gaithersburg grocery store project is named “Mendel-Shady Grove,” but does not list a tenant.
The name “Mendel” has been used as a code name for Amazon, the Business Journal has reported.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@bethesdda-remix.newspackstaging.com