Redevelopment and Revitalization Efforts
County redevelopment and revitalization projects are initiatives intended to impact and improve local economies by providing:
- Quality high paying jobs
- Sufficient and affordable housing near mass transit
- Redevelopment and clean-up of old industrial sites, and
- Needed and overdue investments in County government facilities.
These redevelopment efforts strategically leverage County assets to generate private sector investment. The Office of Planning and Development coordinates with other County departments to mitigate any negative impacts associated with redevelopment activities.
Redevelopment Projects in Planning/Design
Redevelopment Projects Under Construction
Recreation Headquarters Site Redevelopment (Randolph Road)
Completed Redevelopment Projects:
Life Science Center West
The redevelopment of the 46 acres that is the former Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA) site advances the vision of the Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan. The County selected The Elms at PSTA, LLC to redevelop the property with a mix of residential units, including 30% Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (“MPDUs”). This new residential community will include 630 new residential units including 2-over-2 condominiums, townhomes and apartments, as well as approximately 1,700 square feet of retail. The project will provide pedestrian circulation via a system of sidewalks, the LSC Loop, open space linkages and a series of interconnected open spaces and amenity areas including a civic green, a playing field, a forested area with natural surface trails, a playground and fitness stations. The first residential units were sold in December 2023/January 2024.
Former Silver Spring Library Redevelopment
The County entered into a long-term ground lease with its developer partner to provide an early childhood education and development center at the site of the former Silver Spring Library. The Martha B. Gudelsky Child Development Center, Inc. renovated the existing building for use as a licensed early childhood care, education and development facility to be operated by CentroNia for a minimum of 120 children ages 0 to 5 years old. A minimum of 75% of the attendees served by the Early Care Programs will come from families that are eligible under Federal guidelines for free and reduced lunch. The project includes a multi-purpose space available for use by the general community when not needed for the childcare program. Construction was completed in September 2024.
2nd District Police Station
The new 2nd District Police Station in Bethesda is the realization of a public-private partnership between Montgomery County and Bethesda-based developer StonebridgeCarras. The former 2nd District station was constructed in 1961. At nearly 60 years old, the facility required major building repairs and had multiple site constraints that made it difficult to meet the needs of a growing police district. StonebridgeCarras designed and constructed the new state-of-the-art facility on an underutilized vacant lot. In return, the County transferred the old 2nd District site at 7359 Wisconsin Avenue, a highly valuable property near mass transit, to StonebridgeCarrras who will redevelop that property as part of an office and hotel project, further contributing to the vibrant downtown Bethesda business district. The new four-story, 28,000-square-foot police station meets police requirements and will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certified. The new station maximizes the use of public land by utilizing a portion of the adjacent County Garage 35 for police vehicles and ancillary requirements. The new 2nd District Police Station began operation in February 2018.
Progress Place
Housed in what was originally a commercial bakery, Progress Place has served Silver Spring’s low-income and homeless populations since 2000 by providing counseling, meals, winter shelter space and medical services. Eventually these programs had expanded to the point that the building could no longer adequately meet the needs of the community members it serves. By partnering with local developer Washington Property Company for the design and construction of a new Progress Place on County-owned land, Montgomery County is able to provide our most vulnerable populations with expanded services, including 21 apartments for persons transitioning out of homelessness. With the completion of the new Progress Place, Washington Property Company will redevelop the former site as a highrise residential development. This partnership illustrates the County’s continued commitment to smart growth by leveraging publicly-owned land, promoting transit-oriented development in Silver Spring and expanding our capacity to serve the community. The new Progress Place began operation in December 2016.