New developer for mixed-use project in Wheaton, Maryland

Developer B.F. Saul of Bethesda, Maryland, has been chosen to create a mixed-use walkable downtown area on nearly 12 acres around the Metro rail station in Wheaton, Maryland.

Steve Silverman, director of the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, said selection of a developer is a significant step, given the economy, the Montgomery Gazette reported July 28 in an article available here. The previous developer, Bozzuto Development Corp. of Greenbelt, Maryland, canceled its plans to build a mixed-use project on the bus bays in January 2009, citing a weak market.

The county's aim is to produce what was created a few years ago in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, but "on a smaller scale, with a town center and a walkable retail area," Silverman said. The county owns 8.2 acres of the Wheaton site, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority owns about three acres.

A concept for the area is expected to be presented to the community within six months. The county's vision includes office space, a hotel, and more retail than had originally been anticipated.