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A clarification was made to this story Friday, July 30. An explanation follows the story.

A new developer has stepped up as the mastermind of downtown Wheaton's future.

Bethesda-based B.F. Saul was announced Tuesday as the company tasked with creating a mixed-use, walkable downtown area spanning nearly 12 acres of land around the Wheaton Metro station. Within six months, the county expects to have a concept for the area that will be presented to the community, according to county spokesman Patrick Lacefield.

"They understand what it is that we want to do," Lacefield said. "The next step is just to put some meat on the bones in terms of what will happen in Wheaton."

The downtown envisioned by the county and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is for a high-density, pedestrian-friendly area with mixed-use retail, office and residential buildings. The county owns 8.2 acres of land, and Metro owns about three acres. Among the properties included in the project are the Mid-County Regional Services Center on Reedie Drive, nearby parking lot 13, four other parking lots, the Metro bus bay and the Metro parking garage and pedestrian bridge.

Steve Silverman, the county's director of the Department of Economic Development, said the selection of a developer is a significant step, given the economy. The previous developer on the project, Greenbelt-based Bozzuto Development Corp., canceled its plans to build a mixed-use project on the bus bays in January 2009, citing a weak market. The county's new vision for the area includes class A office space, a hotel and more retail, Silverman said.

"Wheaton has been a top priority for the executives for four years, but the economy hasn't cooperated," Silverman said. "We think that with B.F. Saul, we can move forward, even in these down economic times."

Silverman said the county is trying to replicate the Silver Spring model on a smaller scale, with a town center and a walkable retail area.

"Whether it's going to have movie theaters, whether it's going to have the exact same feeling as the town center in Silver Spring, it's still very premature," he said. "That's why there's going to be extensive community involvement, just like in Silver Spring — so that the developer and the county address the needs of the community in creating Wheaton's downtown."

The developer will be particularly challenged by the need to negotiate with Westfield Wheaton Shopping Center and the mishmash of land owners near the Metro. Triangle Lane alone has 21 different land owners.

Silverman said Westfield officials have expressed a desire to make the center less isolated. B.F. Saul officials will have to figure out how to better link the center to the rest of downtown.

A single developer was picked to ensure a unified look among the properties and a fast-moving timeline.

"We all knew that a piecemeal approach was not the answer to revitalize the Wheaton Central Business District," said Council Vice President Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) in a county press release announcing the deal Tuesday. "The partnership with B.F. Saul Company and Metro is a tremendous opportunity for the residents of Wheaton to shape the future of the central business district and to invigorate Wheaton's core, while maintaining the quality of life in the surrounding residential neighborhoods."

Councilmember George Leventhal (D-At Large) said the plans should emphasize what makes Wheaton unique: small businesses. He hopes the plan will make Wheaton an even bigger draw for its diversity, location and Metro accessibility.

Though no concrete plans, timelines or costs have been decided, Lacefield said the county is looking at the project as a 10-year process. Over the next several months, the county will work with Metro and B.F. Saul to lay out a more specific timeline, Silverman said.

This project is the first county public-private partnership project for B.F. Saul. The company has a history spanning more than 100 years in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The company, which declined to comment, owns and manages more than $1 billion in real estate development.

Clarification: County spokesman Patrick Lacefield incorrectly stated the scope of the B.F. Saul development deal in Wheaton. The development project around the Wheaton Metro station will not include the Amherst parking garage or Veteran's Park. "They are still active in our plans and may be put back in play as things develop independent of this," he wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette.