Planners approve last residential piece of a redevelopment puzzle

The Ellsworth condominiums, a final section of downtown Silver Spring’s core, will provide 222 units

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

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A condominium with 222 units will be built at the corner of Ellsworth Drive and Cedar Street near Pershing Drive. The Montgomery County Planning Board approved plans for the project Thursday.

That condominium, The Ellsworth, will complete the residential component of the redeveloped downtown. Once the civic building and veterans plaza is built, the core, which has been developed by Peterson Cos., Foulger-Pratt Co. and Argo Investment Co., known collectively as PFA, will be complete.

The Ellsworth will have 31 moderately priced units and 250 parking spaces, said Richard Weaver of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The building will be within walking distance of several new stores, restaurants and a movie theater.

The building will be five stories, said Robert Kronenberg of Park and Planning. It will have a pool and landscaped terrace. The building has been designed to complement the surrounding new structures.

‘‘I think they did a very nice job in melding the architecture with the existing downtown Silver Spring architecture,” said Barbara Sears of Linowes and Blocher, the law firm representing PFA.

Overall, development in the downtown spans 1,173,054 square feet, Kronenberg said. That development includes office space, retail, a hotel, this residential component and the soon-to-be-built civic building.

PFA has worked on development of the downtown since 1998, creating a town center concept that would serve residents of the Silver Spring area as well as draw in visitors from other parts of the county and region.