A vast transformation is occurring in White Flint, Md., as the region prepares to grow into a greener and more sustainable future. Located north of Bethesda and Chevy Chase, White Flint flanks the primary retail corridor of Rockville Pike. The area is filled with big box retail stores, car dealerships and chain restaurants — a sharp contrast to the chic personality and affluence of its wealthy municipal neighbors to the south.
| At a Glance: |
| December 2010 |
| Average sold price in the 20852 ZIP code: $471,000 |
| Average list price in the 20852 ZIP code: $509,000 |
| Average days on market for homes sold: 104 |
| December 2009 |
| Average sold price in the 20852 ZIP code: $437,000 |
| Average list price in the 20852 ZIP code: $457,000 |
| Average days on market for homes sold: 62 |
However, Montgomery County Council members recently approved a redevelopment plan for White Flint that includes $900 million in infrastructure improvements. The goal is to transform Rockville Pike into a more pedestrian-friendly boulevard by decreasing its auto lanes and adding bicycle routes, a tree canopy and a dedicated median for mass transit vehicles.
Lawmakers said the plan will become a catalyst for 30 years of progressive development in this drive-thru section of Montgomery County.
“White Flint is not a community right now,” said Montgomery County Council member Roger Berliner. “There are neighborhoods around it, but on Rockville Pike itself there is not a sense of place. What we are working to create is a sense of place in White Flint.”
The ambitious redevelopment of the region has the full support of residents like Barnaby Zall, an attorney at Weinberg and Jacobs LLP.
“White Flint is a suburban area in a place that could be — and should be ?– urban,” Zall said. “Right now it’s an environmental nightmare, traffic clogged and covered in asphalt. But if White Flint were developed to its full potential you wouldn’t need a car. It would be a great place to live and work.”
The moderately priced, single-family homes in the area are a good buy in what is evolving into a very desirable location. The renowned music center at Strathmore is a Metro stop away, and residents are a short walk from top tier schools like Georgetown Preparatory High School and the Academy of the Holy Cross.
In partnership with area landowners, the county aims create an environment to support 9,800 new homes and 6 million square feet of new commercial space.
“Right now, the feel of Rockville Pike is just shy of an airport runway,” said Greg Trimmer, senior vice president of the JBG Companies. “But the plan is to convert the pike into a grand boulevard in a way that will change the character of the region.”
JBG is one of six major landowners in White Flint who share the county’s vision and are contributing nearly 80 percent of the funds needed to complete the infrastructure improvements. The company’s North Bethesda Market development, located across from the White Flint mall, will add 400 housing units, a gym and a 60,000-square-foot Whole Foods supermarket to the region.
Trimmer said the company’s vision is to integrate residential, commercial and retail elements of the neighborhood into tall, mixed-use buildings. They strive to appeal to a population of residents who want to live, work and shop all in the same city block.
Natalie Goldberg, another White Flint resident, is looking forward to the increased amenities the planned development will bring.
“A lot of people in my neighborhood are in favor of increased opportunities to go out to dinner and I’m looking forward to that too,” Goldberg said.
