Director of historic Silver Spring movie theater, cultural center retiring
Ray Barry, director of the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in downtown Silver Spring, is retiring after spending nearly half a century working for the film institute.
Barry, who traveled across the country in his role, was instrumental in helping revitalize the historic movie theater in downtown Silver Spring.
“It has been a great privilege to work for so many years in a career devoted to bringing the best in American and world cinema to the screen. And for the past 20 years to do this work at an historic theater that is so deeply anchored in the fabric of its community as the AFI Silver, has been the experience of a lifetime,” Barry said in a prepared statement.
Barry is retiring later this month. [American Film Institute]
Silver Spring diner slated to be redeveloped
The Tastee Diner in downtown Silver Spring, which closed Wednesday, has been sold—with plans for a mixed-use development with retail and residential space.
Roadside Development LLC bought the property in August 2022 for $2.7 million. It has stood in Silver Spring for more than seven decades.
The new development isn’t finalized, but Roadside intends on keeping the old diner railcar in its final design. [Washington Business Journal]
Metro to pay $40 million to retrofit faregates
Metro is going to pay up to $40 million to retrofit faregates, the first of which will be installed at multiple rail stations—including Bethesda and Wheaton on the Red Line.
The new faregates are meant to cut down on fare evasion, costing the transit agency millions of dollars every year. The first phases of stations, including Bethesda and Wheaton, will see them in the coming months, before new faregates are installed at all stations by June 2024. [DCist]
Today’s weather
Scattered showers with a high of 75 degrees
In case you missed it…
Family fentanyl forum to be held Saturday at Paint Branch HS
County Council approves legislation to boost transparency beyond state’s Open Meetings Act
Development of former Nike missile site in Gaithersburg to include 380 multi-family dwelling units