Park Potomac urban village' development moves along
Retailers envision live-work community
Development at Park Potomac is moving along near the corner of Seven Locks Road and Montrose Road, and though it's not complete, developers say glimpses of the vision for a vibrant live-work community are starting to be revealed.
Law firm Shulman Rogers moved into the existing office building at the property, which borders the City of Rockville and includes high-rise and brownstone-style condominiums, at the end of July. Harris Teeter grocery store is expected to open in January. Other retailers, including Wine Harvest, Eagle Bank, Zoe's Kitchen, and Emily Grace, an upscale boutique, are expected to move in — and while the timeline still remains unclear, there are plans for a 175-room Kimpton hotel.
"It's the whole idea of a live-work community and having everything close by — that's the attraction here," said resident Alan Warsaw.
Bus service is planned to connect the community to the Metro.
Having shopping and residences close by would be a boon for employee work-life balance, said David Pordy, an attorney with Shulman Rogers.
"We wanted a place that was vibrant like this; that has a residential component," he said.
And the location, he said, was tough to beat. "I don't know that any [of our employees] live here yet. But yet' is the operative word."
Those who stopped by Aug. 26 for an ice cream social also dropped off backpacks and school supplies for Interfaith Works. The plaza, they said, made the development feel more like the community developers envisioned.
"It's not just a housing development; we're hoping it will be more of a community where neighbors can meet and talk with each other," said resident Audrey Wasser.
The plaza connects the residential area to the office and retail area. There are 150 brownstone-style condominiums, about the same number of condos in high-rise buildings, retail space and an office building that fronts Interstate 270. About 300 more residential units are planned, along with four more office buildings and a total of 140,000 square feet of retail space.