Construction could begin in Gaithersburg this spring on a nearly 700-apartment complex with thousands of square feet for restaurants and retail space, as well as an urban park, on Frederick Avenue near Watkins Mill Road.

The city council will discuss at 7:30 p.m. Monday the approval of an amendment for a plan for the Spectrum at Watkins Mill, formerly Casey East.

In phase one, 523 apartments will be built, with restaurants and retail on the ground level, surrounding Performers Park, where events or concerts could be held; rooftop open-air terraces would overlook the events.

Architects and planners have been working for the past year to change the plan to more of a mixed-use development, after seeing that those developments fared the best during the recession, according to Luis Gonzlez of Lee & Associates commercial real estate services, who presented the plan during a Jan. 17 mayor and city council meeting.

The new plan removes a strip shopping center about 43,890 square feet of retail space for a new total of 35,910 square feet, and adds 296 apartment units for a total of 678 units; restaurant and office or bank space also was added.

During the 44 days available for public comment, Bob Portanova of Montgomery Village was the only resident to share his thoughts with city officials. Portanova said he would like the city to preserve part of the area as a wildlife buffer.

Good planning requires a design that incorporates the proper balance between buildings, pavement, structures and buffers, he wrote in a Feb. 15 email to Mayor Sidney Katz.

The development, to be built on 40 acres, will have the quarter-acre Performers Park, 5.86 acres of stream valley buffer, and additional forest along the northwest portion for a total of nearly 16 acres of green space, according to a city report.

At the Jan. 17 meeting, Councilman Henry Marraffa asked for more accessible paths for those walking into the community. Planning staff requested additional information on the impact that the changes to the plan will have on parking and traffic.

jbondeson@gazette.net

View post:
Gazette.Net: Gaithersburg considers 678 apartments, restaurants and retail for Frederick Avenue

Related Posts
March 14, 2012 at 10:01 pm by Mr HomeBuilder
Category: Retail Space Construction