More Shopping Along 355
2008 February 4
I noticed today that there are two new signs along Rte. 355 for a new shopping center, scheduled for fall of 2009 (they finally took down the signs that said fall, 2007). One sign is across the street from May’s Restaurant and the other one is across the street from Office Depot. Does anyone have any information on what is going in there? What would you like to see go in there? We certainly don’t need any more office/school supply stores or home improvement stores or craft stores on this side of town. It’s probably not considered residential enough to support a grocery store but one would be nice over there. Personally, I prefer the open space myself.
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For the home: Container store, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, William Sonoma, and Restoration Hardware. For clothing: Banana Republic, J.Jill, J.Crew, Abercrombie and Fitch. Other: Sephora.
Here is some info on that shopping center:
http://www.klnb.com/PropDocs/2267.aspx
It looks similiar to the shopping center with Target/Pet Smart/Home Depot/Borders down the road. According to the plans, there will be a “phase I” and a “phase II”.
I have no idea what stores will be there though. My wife says she really hopes to see a Nordstrom Rack, World Market, and a Home Goods. I would just like to see a few new places to eat.
I have contacted the leasing agent, but there is no word yet as to what is going in there. I would like to see all of the stores mentioned in previous comments.
I wish they would start building the shopping centers on the north side of town. I for one am waiting anxiously for the 2 on Rt 26. I would rather see Market Square be more retail, rather than a combination of residential/retail. We need a Target and a Borders over here – and more restaurant choices on this side of town.
Maybe someone will read this and take our suggestions.
I hope they connect all the plazas together to keep people from having to get back on Rte. 355 to go from one to the other.
Your chances of getting connections between the shopping centers is slim to none. Go over to West Patrick (Rt. 40) or what is commonly known as the Golden Mile. Which of those shopping centers are connected. Here are a couple issues related to that:
1. If you own a shopping center do you want to make it easy for people to go the shopping center next door?
2. Who will own and take care of the connection between the shopping centers?? Who will own it?? The best you can hope for is that stores be placed on pads in front of other stores.
Also, construction of the location on Rt 26 is underway. Can’t wait until that Lowes store opens.
Lilly Vernon
They are supposed to start the new shoppng centers on the north said eof town sometime this year. Target, Best Buy and Borders are some of the possible tenants in Market Square at Frederick. Nothing is concrete yet. Wegmans is slated to be open by fall of 2008. I personally cannot wait either.
Contact Mr. R. Rubin at http://www.preit.com under the “contacts” page. This is who you should contact concerning Retoration Hardware, Abercrombie, j. Jill and the others. This is also who to contact concerning improvements tot he FSK Mall.
New stores on industrial 355? Please no.
Frankly, I love the smell of wet cement in the morning, the visual poetry of stacked cinder blocks spreading across a cerulean afternoon sky, and the rolling clouds of fine particulates melting into a crimson sunset. It’s all so–Frederick.
Can we keep the quarry? The sinkholes? The huge storm lagoons slowly arising near Costco on I-70?
The Dude, I don’t know about you, but I still miss the old truck stop that used to be where Costco is. Good old cafeteria-style diner food and a telephone in each booth, accompanied by the rumble of trucks idling in the parking lot. And showers, to boot– That was great stuff!
If they add more shopping centers on 355, I’m going to be so confused. I won’t know whether I’m in Frederick or Rockville! (I know, we’ve had the Fredrockville debate before…)
I wish we had a Trader Joe’s! I will believe Wegman’s is coming to Fred. when I see it being built. Wasn’t it originally supposed to open last December?
These reponses are HILARIOUS! You guys are a SCREAM! LOL
Oh, yes I would love a Trader Joes too. I write them about once a month requesting that they consider Frederick. (no response, except the automated one stating that they received my request) But I still keep hoping!
Whatever happened to the Cheesecake Factory rumors?
Cheesecake Factory told me last year they considered Frederick a good location. If a Bloomingdale’s or Nordstrom come in then the floodgates will open…..PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory and so on.
Darrell, you’re making me very depressed.
Tam:
How am I doing that??
I believe that The Cheesecake Factory rumor was a mistake caused by the arrival of the Philly Cheesesteak Factory to 355 (near May’s).
No, that came out long before Philly’s cheesecake was in in the planning stages. They ARE looking at Frederick. I heard it from them at Cheesecake Factory.
Darrell,
Thanks for the email and interest in Red Robin in Frederick , Maryland . You are absolutely correct. We are trying to finalize our deal for the closed Lonestar at Francis Scott Key Mall. If we are able to finalize this deal, that Red Robin would open later this year. We are also looking on the north side of town for a Red Robin late next year. Frederick is a great area and Red Robin looks forward to opening in the future. Please visit our website in the future for openings in your area and thanks again for the email. Have a great week.
Regards,
Joey Stewart
Director of Real Estate
Red Robin International, Inc.
1029 Claremont Drive
Columbia, TN 38401
I’m for a Trader Joes. Why can’t Frederick get a Whole Foods, has anyone ever researched that idea?
Last time I checked- median household income must be above $65K (in 2003 dollars) before a community can support a Whole Foods market.
As mentioned previously in this forum and in print elsewhere, Trader Joes gave the thumbs down to Frederick because it deemed the demographics unsuitable for opening one of its stores. (A bad decision, in my view.) Since then, My Organic Market has opened up (they evidently were OK with the demographics). And there’s the Common Market. Could a Whole Foods also be supported at this point?
Trader Joe’s? Whole Food? Target? More restaurants? Why do we need to fill that space? Why don’t we just turn it into a gorgeous, tree-filled park for cycling, running, and to attract the everlasting shrinking amount of birds and animals in the state of Maryland?
We do not need more stores – Common Market and M.O.M’s are sufficient. We do not need more restaurants on 355, and rather, focus on increasing restaurant businesses in downtown.
One thing that we need, for sure, are trees, places to run/bike, hold hands with your loved one while starring at the blue clouds, and inhaling fresh, carbon – reduced air.
Is not global warming a matter of seriousness to you? More stores = more floods due to lack of absorbent soil, larger Carbon footprint, and other damaging aspects.
Let’s make that dull quarry-like place a green park. I know it is probably too late since the developer bought that area but is something to have the developer include in his plans.
LachicDina: You really want such a park right next to I-270? Or shall we just get rid of that too?
I HATE parking downtown, and living south of town, I love the convenience of the restaurants on 85, 355, and Crestwood Boulevard.
To use your logic, why don’t we use the parks we’ve already got? (No, so-called “global warming” doesn’t worry me, but that’s another thread.)
Like I said in the original post, I prefer the open space. I don’t see much of a need for more shopping in that area. But I can’t see how it would work as park-like area, mostly because there’s no residential areas there. I suppose it’s possible that people could driver there, park in the Staples lot and hang out in the park, but I think parks work better in an area where people can walk there from home. Just my opinion.
Bertucci’s would also be nice!
Hello:
I just found out that on Rte 85 a 5 story, 135 room hotel, a 4 story, 114 room hotel, 1 3 story office building, a 10,000 squarefoot retail building and two 5000 square foot restaurants are coming to Westview South. this is situated just south of planned Westview Village. the 5 story hotel will be right behind WV along Westview Drive. the other developments will be on the north and south sides of Exectutive Way.
http://md-frederickcounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenterii.asp?FID=168 this site explains it. Click on Jan. 08 and you will see the PDF file!
Darrell
My goodness, two MORE hotels coming to the Westview area? As I pass the recently constructed hotels and extended-stay lodging on my way to work each day, I’d already been wondering how this area can support the number of lodging facilities that have already opened in the Westview part of town.
But I am pretty curious what the two 5,000-sq-ft restaurants will turn out to be.
Back to the original post….Though preserving green space for public enjoyment and (more important) environmental considerations is commendable, the area in question along that “industrial” stretch of 355 doesn’t strike me as the best location for a park. (Though it is true that parks are found in urbanized settings everywhere, complete with traffic hubbub, etc.) Plus….even if the commercial value of this parcel had been ignored and the necessary zoning changes made, the public $$$ to create a park just aren’t there…especially in view of already tight budgets and funding shortfalls. I myself would like to dream of more areas being left as (preferably park-like) open space, but when there’s land up for grabs and money to be made, it ain’t gonna happen.
Hi all:
Thank you for the feedback on my comment. Although I agree with Lizfrog about the area not being feasible for a park-like environment, I come from New York City, where we have Central Park smack in the middle of the city. Nonetheless, Central Park is located nearby residential/commercial areas altogether.
To echo FrederickFan’s comments, open land spaces that are either farms, forests, or simple patches of grass should be left alone for others to enjoy sniffing the clear air, run, and just spend a lazy summer afternoon in. The areas that already been “urbanized” should be “recycled” into new developments, rather than having the open spaces used for developments.
I guess it is a wishful thinking of wishing to recycle an already urbanized area into a green space. It does happen, and it will be nice to see that happen in Tree City, Frederick.
Thus – this leads to a new string – how do you feel about Maryland passing a law conserving all green spaces and preventing development in those areas, forcing developers to develop only in areas that have been built upon already?
Personnally, I love the smell of freshly poured asphalt, there must be something deep in my primordial memory that connects to those tar pits. What really effects me is the lost of those 320 or so jobs at BP Solar that moved off shore. Does anyone out there worrying about which of the restaurants will open along Rt 355 every think what loss 320 clean blue collar jobs means to Frederick?
I am snooping to find out what hotels will come into these two spaces as well as the restaurants. I will keep snooping and as soon as I can get word, if any, I will let you all know. My prediction is that they will be Marriott branded hotels as Plamondin is big here. We do not have a Class A hotel. Could be a regular Marriott or Springhill suites. It all remains to be seen. I am hoping for a California Pizza Kitchen, Don Pablos, Chevy’s or Tony Romas. YUMMY!
Well, Lachicdina, what you describe is already happening in places like DC, where large chunks of NE and SE are being gentrified. And not everyone likes that, BTW.
I guess we’re not going to see eye to eye about this because I value the right to property more than I do the need for government-mandated open space. Thus, I wouldn’t support your proposal.
If you think this current housing slowdown is hurting the economy, you haven’t seen anything yet if there’s nowhere for growth, as with your plan. Also, imagine how UNaffordable housing will be with the supply so depleted.
Sadly, most of our leaders in this state aren’t worried about such things. Underneath the “Maryland Welcomes You” signs at the state line should be another sign that says, “Closed for Business.”
oh, a Tony Romas (anywhere in Frederick) would be great! I’d support that.
Tony Romas, they really are no different than the Itallian places we already have and they are higher than going to Bone Fish, what Frederick needs is new stores and restaurants, like PF Chengs, Cheesecake Factory, Nordstroms
Please, dear God, no more restaurants, retailers and amusements for these unimaginative fata$$es who are so uninterested in making their own homes livable on a Friday night that they would rather make the entire city an uninteresting, uninhabitable slab of concrete and filthy lucre. I liked when there was a truckstop / restaurant and farm buildings on 355. Costco is fine. Nowadays I wouldn’t raise my dog there, much less a family.
“If you think this current housing slowdown is hurting the economy, you haven’t seen anything yet if there’s nowhere for growth, as with your plan. ”
Whaa? The current housing slowdown happened because of a collision between the credulous and the unscrupulous. One side made investments that turned into long-term losses while the other side benefitted, while providing no proportionate benefit to the community. The “growth” you so lovingly speak of will happen when a credulous party meets an unscrupulous party and developers walk away with a sum of money disproportionate to the benefits the community will enjoy from the endeavour.
Why don’t you just buy an island off the coast of Maine, call it “Growth Island” and build things to your heart’s content?
“Underneath the “Maryland Welcomes You” signs at the state line should be another sign that says, “Closed for Business.”
Damn straight.
“Some people leave money for the improvement of public buildings. I can leave dynamite for the improvement of public buildings.”
-G.K.Chesterton
I guess it must be Anonymous who put up those “Welcome to Frederick County — Now Get Out!” signs on I-70.
That sort of attitude sickens me more than any amount of development.
$4 gas cuts pretty deep into the rational of Frederick’s growth. What’s the point moving over the MoCo line and buying a cheaper house if all that money – and more – goes into the gas tank?
I’m also curious to see what impact gas prices have on gentrification. Previously, living in a densely built, walkable environment has been more of a “lifestyle choice” – a luxury, almost.
Btw, Publius, I believe the Chesterton quote was more about architecture than growth.
Tony Romas is not Italian but BBQ Ribs and their Carolins Honeys are the best I have ever had!
lachicdina and our fine tree hugging friends:
I know I’m late to the party….but more parks? Do you really think Frederick county is lacking park space?
Here is the short list:
Ballenger Creek Park
Buckeystown Park
Catoctin Creek Park
Catoctin Recreation Center
Centerville Recreation Center
Creagerstown Park
Deer Crossing Recreation Center
Devilbiss Bridge
Fountaindale Park
Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center
Green Hill Park
Kemptown Park
Libertytown Park
Loy’s Station Park
Middletown Park
Middletown Recreation Center
Oakdale Recreation Center
Old National Pike Park
Parks Maintenance Office
Pinecliff Park
Point of Rocks Park
Rocky Ridge Landing
Roddy Road Park
Rose Hill Manor Park
Tuscarora Recreation Center
Urbana Community Park
Urbana District Park
Utica District Park
Amber Meadows Park
Apple Avenue Park
Babee Park
Baker Park, Room One
Baker Park, Room Two
Baker Park, Room Three
Baker Park, Room Four
Bandshell
Bentz Street Graveyard Memorial Grounds
Bentztown Spring Park
Bonita Maas Park
Carroll Creek Urban Park
Carrollton Park
Catoctin Park
City Hall Park
Clerestory Park
Cobblestone Park
College Estates Park
David Lane Park
Diggs Pool
East Third Street Park
Emerald Farms Park
Fountain Park
Fredericktowne Village Park
Golfview Park
Grove Park
Harry Grove Stadium
Harmon Field/Park
Hill Street Park
Hillcrest Park
Hillcrest Orchard Park
Hospital Park
Jug Bridge Park
Laboring Sons Memorial Grounds
Lake Coventry Park
Linden Hills Park
Linear Greenway Park
Loats Park
Maryvale Park
Max Kehne Park
McCurdy Field
Jimmy McGee Memorial Park
Monarch Ridge Park
Monocacy Village Park
Mullinix Park
North Crossing Park
Old Camp Park
Overlook Park
Rivermist Park
Riverside Center Park
Riverwalk Park at Fredericktowne Village
Rock Creek Park
Rosedale Park
Sagner Park
Schley Park
South End Park
Staley Park
Stonegate Park
William R. Talley Recreation Center
Taskers Chance Park
Thomas Johnson Middle School Recreation Center
Edward P. Thomas Pool
Tiny Tot Park
Trinity School Recreation Center
Valley Street Park
Walnut Ridge Park
Waterford Park
Wetherburne Park
Whittier Baseball Park
Whittier Lake Park
Whittier Elementary School Recreation Center
Willowbrook Park
Willowdale Park
Cunningham Falls State Park
Gambrill State Park
Gathland State Park
Washington Monument State Park
Greenbrier State Park
And I didn’t even list the nearby National Parks!!!
Nah, I will:
Appalachian Trail
Catoctin Mountain National Park
Monocasy National Battlefield
whew….I’m sure I’ve missed some..
This list doesn’t include other parks like community, ruritan, etc.
Now I am a huge fan of parks and use them weekly and sometimes daily. But to imply we in Frederick County may have a shortage of parks is ludicrous. I do not want to see every square inch developed but to claim these developments are coming at the expense of more parks seems a bit over the top.
And for the record I would love a Don Pablos or Chilis!!
Based on a 2005 county population of 220,876 and 3,662 acres of existing
municipal and county parkland (including school sites) the County has
approximately 17 acres of parkland per 1,000 population.
So go to one of these 3000K plus Acres and hold hands and breathe that air.
The following comes from a Gazette article quoted from this post.
So we may be rich in parks, but not necessarily parks to play.
What we are short of is not just parks to play – but parks to play organized sports in. I have been involved in soccer, baseball and softball and those are the parks that we need. That is what he is talking about.
Lilly
Frederick has some nice parks, but we need a DOG PARK!!!
Hello Darrell:
Good to hear from you again. The Clemson Corner project was actually annexed into the City of Frederick in December and the article in the Frederick News Post today told about the County Commissioners vote yesterday to allow us the zoning we needed. The project is finally fully approved and you should see us break ground later this year (most likely this Fall). Look for Wegmans to open probably in the Fall of 2010, but we should know a more precise date in the next few months. As I mentioned to you before, I live in Middletown and shop in Frederick all the time and cannot wait for Wegmans to open too! In addition to Wegmans and Lowe’s, it looks very likely (but not guaranteed) that like Marshalls, Noodles & Co. and Chipotle will also join the project. Our office is very busy now trying to add additional retailers, so stay tuned and feel free to check in periodically to see how we are coming along. Thank you.
Cathy Hess
Leasing Coordinator