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Add another new housing development to downtown Bethesda's growing pipeline.
Washington Property Company (WPC) is proposing to build a 260-unit apartment building on the site of two aging office buildings in the heart of downtown Bethesda. The properties at 4719 Hampden Lane and 4720 Montgomery Lane (map) were once part of a larger mixed-use vision called Hampden East, but WPC is now pursuing a new plan that redevelops the entire site with a multifamily high-rise, underground parking and public open space.
The proposed tower would feature up to 17.6% affordable housing units (MPDUs), which would allow the developer to build 12 feet higher than the site's established base height of 250 feet. The location, one block north of the future south entrance to the Bethesda subway station and the Purple Line, positions the project as a large transit-focused project.
Because the site is unusually narrow and flat—particularly along 4719 Hampden Lane—architect Design Collective employs alternative façade and massing treatments permitted by the Bethesda Downtown Design Guidelines. These techniques aim to ensure adequate access to light and air while allowing for a functional residential floor slab. The building's architecture will rely on articulation, variation and setbacks to mitigate its size, particularly along the pedestrian-oriented facades.
The proposal for the new building will be presented to Bethesda's Design Advisory Panel tomorrow.
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This article was originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/fitting_in_a_narrow_260-unit_apartment_building_pitched_for_bethesda/24146.