The second phase of the Chevy Chase Lake redevelopment project has begun to move down the pipeline. Plans for the second phase, which were submitted in July, propose more mixed-use residential development, improvements to walkability and seek to establish the community as a transit hub with proximity to a Purple Line station.
The Chevy Chase Land Company and the Bozzuto Group–which is based in Greenbelt–are behind the multi-phase project which first broke ground in 2018 for the first phase. The applicants submitted plans for the second phase in July.
According to planning documents, the property, which is designated by the Chevy Chase Lake Master Plan as “Block A,” will be consolidated into a 1.81-acre lot.
The project will create up to 245,952 square feet of new development, with 19,000 square feet dedicated to retail and commercial space, documents state. The project plans to bring up to 220 residential units in a mix of apartments and townhouse-styles, with up to 28 being moderately priced dwelling units (MPDUs).
Construction of the building–located on Connecticut Avenue between Manor Road and Laird Place–will be completed in one phase. The site is divided into two sections, “Site A1” and “Site A2,” which will consist of the two different residential options.
Site A1 is located along Loughborough Street and faces single-family homes on the street. According to planning documents, Site A1 will have townhouse-style buildings at a maximum height of 40 feet which planners believe will better integrate into the neighborhood behind the site.
On the other side of the property is Site A2, which faces Connecticut Avenue. Plans propose this portion of the development will have a residential apartment building with ground-floor commercial space and a maximum height of 70 feet.
The final phase of the development will feature retail and restaurant spaces and provide new vehicular and pedestrian connections along the ground floor of the building.
Also included in the phase two plans are about 5,200 square feet of public open space to improve pedestrian circulation and create opportunities for social gatherings, such as outdoor terraces, according to planning documents. New landscaping and streetscape improvements, such as adding trees and plants on the building façade “to soften the edges and bring nature into the urban fabric,” are proposed too.
Businesses that currently exist at the site are Truist Bank, The Somerville Bath & Kitchen Store, Manoli Canoli, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Starbucks and a Liberty gas station. The project plans a total redevelopment of the retail center and its surface parking lot.
One block down from the Chevy Chase Lake site, residents and pedestrians will be able to access the future Connecticut Avenue Purple Line station. The station will feature parking, bike storage, a path for hikers and bikers on the Capital Crescent Trail and a trail bridge over Connecticut Avenue. The $9.4 billion Purple Line project is expected to be completed in spring 2027, state officials announced July 15.
Surrounding the Chevy Chase Lake development site are the residential neighborhoods of Chevy Chase, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia Country Club and North Chevy Chase Elementary School.
Once completed, the plan would create a more walkable and transit-oriented area and tie into with the already completed Chevy Chase Lake community across the street, on the east side of Connecticut Avenue. This mixed-use development was recently completed with a plaza, open green space and a growing number of retail businesses, such as Amazon Fresh, the Charmery ice cream shop, Truist Bank and Uncorked, a wine lounge and shop.
According to the Chevy Chase Lake community website, more retail players are coming soon, such as restaurants Elena James and Dok Khao, Playa Bowls, Stretch Lab and CVS.
Additionally, the Chevy Chase Lake community includes the Ritz-Carlton Residences and the Barret and the Claude apartment buildings.
The Washington Business Journal reported that according to Bozzuto vice president, Justin Kennell, the project’s cost and timeframe are “uncertain.”