Who are the developers?
The project is led by a partnership formed by the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, a quasi-governmental agency that provides affordable housing and supportive services to enhance the lives of low- and moderate-income families and individuals in Montgomery County; PS Ventures, a real estate development and advisory services team with a sustainability focused approach to building, working in partnership with The Duffie Companies, a family-owned real estate company focused on highly sustainable building practices and headquartered in eastern Montgomery County; and Willco, a leading developer, owner, investor, and manager of first-class commercial real estate based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Where is the proposed redevelopment located?
The proposed redevelopment is located at the intersection of University Boulevard and Veirs Mill Road (view map). The overall project area (West of Veirs Mill Road) is ±5 acres, and the land is predominantly designated within the Commercial Residential (CR) zone. The site is currently home to Lindsay Ford, and includes the properties which were formerly occupied by Mattress Firm, and the Ambassador hotel; which were demolished in 2020. We believe that the prominence of this intersection affords us the ability to create a signature entrance into the Wheaton Central Business District.
What is proposed for development?
The project, currently known as Wheaton Gateway, will ultimately be a vibrant new development featuring mixed-income, multi-family housing and exciting new commercial spaces that incorporates the highest levels of sustainability. The project will be designed and eventually constructed in multiple phases over many years. All combined, the project is planned to encompass a mix of approximately 900k square feet of residential (rental) development and approximately 50k square feet of commercial (e.g. retail) space across three individual buildings, or sections. The residential portions (including all phases of the project) are currently designed to include approximately 800 homes comprising a variety of unit types (i.e. 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units), and priced for a variety of income levels. Our goal is to create a mixed income community featuring a target mix of approximately 60% market rate and 40% Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs). The commercial space will be concentrated primarily on the first floors of the two larger buildings. Parking will be both underground and in above grade structured parking facilities integrated within the site.
What are the Sections and Phases of the Proposed Development?
Sections are used to describe areas of land and phases are used to describe periods of development. The First Phase is now anticipated to include the two northernmost buildings (Sections 1 & 2). The larger building at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and University Boulevard (Section 3) is now anticipated in Phase 2.
What will the First Phase Include?
The First Phase of the project will redevelop the Lindsay Ford portion of the site in two sections. Section 1 is a mixed-use building at the Project’s northern boundary along Veirs Mill Road. Section 2 is a residential building facing the existing single-family homes along East Avenue.
What is the development process and timeline?
Wheaton Gateway is making an orderly progression through the entitlement process with the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). The process will likely take multiple years and will include a concept plan (complete), sketch plan (complete), preliminary plan of subdivision, and site plan. At each stage of this process, there will be community engagement and outreach activities, including the required pre-submission meetings and public hearings.
Following approval by the M-NCPPC and once entitlements are received, the team will pursue building permits, and upon their issuance, construction will commence. It is not anticipated that construction will commence any earlier than 2027.
For a complete overview of how Montgomery Planning, landowners and community members work together to review plans for new development, please see this brochure, which outlines the entire process.
Why are the buildings taller than what was there already?
In Montgomery County, height and density are governed by zoning requirements which are established in “Master” or “Sector” plans. Master Plans are developed by a broad variety of community stakeholders to establish a vision for the area governed by the relevant plan. Each plan’s vision is reflected through the zoning designations for the various properties within the plan area in the hopes that development and construction per the zoning designations will result in the realization of the vision of the plan.
The height and density of all new buildings to be constructed at this location in Wheaton are guided by the 2012 Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan. The properties that comprise Wheaton Gateway represent several different zoning designations. All three buildings reflected on the Sketch Plan are designed to conform with their relevant zoning designation within the Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan. The buildings also reflect the incorporation of higher density and height in consideration for our inclusion of much needed affordable housing. As designed, the buildings of Wheaton Gateway are designed to achieve vision for a walkable, vibrant Wheaton established by the Sector Plan
Why are the buildings designed where they are in relation to the street?
In addition to height and density zoning guidelines set by the Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan, Wheaton Gateway has also been designed per the Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan Design Guidelines. At the time of Concept Plan, the design guidelines recommended that buildings should be constructed to an imaginary “build-to” line located 24’ from the edge of the adjacent roadway’s curb. After additional conversations with park and planning staff, it was decided that Wheaton Gateway will work to incorporate elements of the new Complete Streets Design Guidelines and provide an enhanced pedestrian and bicycle experience along its frontages.
What will the architecture look like?
The Architectural elevations will be reflected within the Site Plan submission which is currently being developed.
What public amenities will be included in these development plans?
The project will include several areas accessible to the public, most prominently a large Community Use Urban Park directly along Viers Mill Road. It is the design team’s intent that the Community Use Urban Park will be an identifiable landmark open to the public in the heart of the project along the internal street. Further down this internal street is a smaller Pocket Green featuring seating and vegetation. Additionally, the lot on the south side of East Avenue which is just less than a quarter-acre in size will remain privately-owned, but will be improved to provide a public Playground. The Community Use Urban Park, Pocket Green, and Playground are all currently programmed to be included within the first phase of development and form one line of varied outdoor spaces along the project’s internal street. The Applicant envisions an interim condition for Section 3 (following the completion of Phase 1 but prior to the commencement of Phase 2). This Interim condition will feature and be largely dominated by a multifunctional open space in lieu of the Section 3 building prior to that’s building’s development. The ultimate Community Use Urban Park in Section 3 is anticipated to be delivered in Phase 2.
What will the ground-floor commercial and retail spaces be used for?
The ultimate uses of the ground-floor commercial and retail spaces are still being assessed by our team. Viable retail requires enough patrons (shoppers, diners, etc.) to support any business to be located within the project, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the retail landscape remains an evolving situation. Visibility and adequate site access are also critical elements for successful retail, but the property’s adjacency to long, unbroken medians certainly pose a challenge. The development team is exploring several options, and we are hopeful they create the exact type of opportunities the Sector Plan is seeking to encourage.
Please note that the adjacent McDonald’s restaurant is not part of this project.
Will the residential component of Wheaton Gateway include for-sale or rental units?
All of the residential units in the proposed development are anticipated to be rental units. The rental rate of the units will be established later in the development cycle, closer to the time of construction. However, Wheaton Gateway is targeting 40% Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs) to accommodate a range of incomes, in addition to the market-rate units.
How is the project being evaluated for its impact on traffic?
Transportation impacts have been carefully considered in the design of Wheaton Gateway, as well as the applicable Sector Plan recommendations, and we will continue to evaluate these impacts throughout the development process.
The Wheaton Gateway project is located in a Red Policy Area, designated by Montgomery County because of the project’s proximity to transit. That means that project is in an area prioritized for multi-model transportation options such as bike lanes, pedestrian accessibility and dedicated bus lanes and is not required by the county to conduct a study of vehicular movements surrounding the project site. Because it is the important to our project and to the community and because our project fronts onto both University Blvd and Veirs Mill Road we are working with the Maryland State Highway Administration on a vehicular traffic evaluation of those two state highways. That evaluation is ongoing.
How will Wheaton Gateway improve the options for multi-model transportation?
The Wheaton Gateway project includes many improvements that are collectively intended to enhance the pedestrian realm over existing conditions, and to implement the recommendations of various applicable County master plans (e.g., the Sector Plan, The Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Masterplan, and the Bicycle Master Plan).
As designed, our team proposes to make significant investments along all our frontages (University Blvd, Veirs Mill Road, Kensington Boulevard, and East Avenue) including improving both pedestrian and bicycle facilities. We are proposing to remove the “hot” right turn from Veirs Mill onto University Boulevard to address pedestrian safety concerns. We are proposing to add 10-foot bi-directional bikeways to both of our main frontages and new, wider sidewalks along all of frontages. To improve the pedestrian experience, we are designing the site to have a landscaped buffers between both the roadway and the bikeway, and the bikeway and the sidewalk. The team continues to discuss Complete Streets Guidelines and how they apply to the project site.
The project design includes new bus stations on both our University Boulevard and Veirs Mill Road frontages and is also accommodating a new bus rapid transit station on Veirs Mill Road.
We are investing in new bicycle and pedestrian connections between Veirs Mill Road and East Avenue (at Kensington Boulevard) and designing bicycle amenities including bicycle lockers and staircases with bicycle ramps (runnels) that will extend from the terminus of Kensington Boulevard up to Veirs Mill Road and onto the western edge of the site.
How will vehicles enter and exit the Wheaton Gateway site?
Primary entry and exit to the site will be provided by entrances and exits on both University Boulevard and Veirs Mill Road. A secondary entrance and exit will be provided off of East Avenue and an additional entrance will be provided on Kensington Blvd. In addition to evaluating entrances and exits, the design team looked at the origin and destination of trips to and from our project. Recognizing the importance of being able to turn around within our site, we then designed on-site circulation to minimize impact to the surrounding neighborhoods and street networks. Additionally the plan features a new street connecting Veirs Mills Road and East Avenue as envisioned by the sector plan. All project transportation improvements reflect consideration of traffic impacts to the adjacent community and will satisfy applicable design standards for all such transportation-related elements.
The project does not propose any changes that would open Kensington Boulevard to Upton Drive. There also is no vehicular connection designed between Kensington Boulevard and Veirs Mills Road.
What kind of parking will be available?
The parking for Wheaton Gateway will include a below-grade parking structure of three to four floors constructed in Phase 1 and an above-grade parking structure of three to four floors constructed in Phase 2. The overall number of parking spaces will be determined during the Preliminary and Site Plan stages and will be impacted by the number of bedrooms and individual dwelling units in the project as well as the mix of tenants. To ensure the right number of spaces are provided, we are evaluating the provision of enough space onsite to accommodate the anticipated uses, with express consideration for the project’s accessibility to transit, and to prevent visitors to the site from parking in the adjacent community. We are also evaluating the ideal number of parking spaces for electric vehicles, ensuring that the anticipated demand for and presence of this form of more environmentally friendly vehicle can be accommodated on-site.
How does Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”) fit into the current plans?
The intersection of Veirs Mill Road and University Boulevard is programmed to include a BRT station according to The Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Masterplan. The project will accordingly be required to make any necessary dedications for public use that are needed to include such a station. The placement of a future BRT stop is reflected illustratively on the Sketch Plan.
Will the public have an opportunity to review the development plans?
The development plans have been and will continue to be designed with the benefit of public review, comment and feedback. Wheaton Gateway will be amending our previously approved Sketch Plan concurrent with the next steps in the entitlement process, which is the submission of our Preliminary and Site plans for approval. The entire application is available for review through the Montgomery County Planning Department’s DAIC system. This information will also be shared on the Wheaton Gateway website (wheatongateway.com), where all information related to the project will be updated from time to time.
How have the developers engaged the community?
To date, the Wheaton Gateway development team, including PSV and The Duffie Companies, the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) and Willco, has met with stakeholders including elected officials, M-NCPPC board and staff, neighboring communities and condo associations, Wheaton-area organizations, local businesses, and special interest groups. The project has continued to evolve and benefit from the feedback we have received to date (thank you).
See a complete summary of community engagement >
Where is the project within the development process?
Beginning in May 2019, the development team sent an introductory letter to nearly 4,000 nearby homes, held several meetings with elected leaders, civic leaders, neighboring communities, and other Wheaton-area organizations. The team also hosted multiple community meetings to gather public input. Since then, the development team has worked closely with land planners and designers to explore a variety of development concepts. Meanwhile, demolition of the former Ambassador hotel and Mattress firm, both of which were located on the future site of Wheaton Gateway, was completed in the first half of 2020.
In early February 2020, the Wheaton Gateway development concept was approved for submission to the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) by the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County’s (HOC) Board of Commissioners. This approval paved the way for the commencement of the development review process with M-NCPPC.
On February 28, 2020, the Wheaton Gateway development team submitted its conceptual site plan to the M-NCPPC. The plan was also shared with the community to provide an opportunity for the public to view the plans and provide feedback.
On April 2, 2020, the Wheaton Gateway development team hosted a livestream presentation of the Wheaton Gateway Concept Plan, where the public was invited to learn more about the project, engage the team, ask questions, and share feedback.
On December 3, 2020, the Wheaton Gateway development team hosted a livestream presentation of the Wheaton Gateway Sketch Plan.
On December 22, 2021, the Wheaton Gateway development team, incorporating feedback from the M-NCPPC via the Development Review Committee, Staff and the community, submitted a revised sketch plan for the project for review. The Montgomery County Planning Department staff has not yet scheduled a Planning Board hearing date for the revised sketch plan.
The Montgomery County Planning Board has approved a request by the Wheaton Gateway development team to extend the sketch plan review period, allowing the team to adequately evaluate and address staff Design Review Committee comments. The current extension remains in place through February 25, 2022. An additional extension has been requested through April 28, 2022, however it is anticipated that the Sketch Plan will be approved prior to that date.
On July 19, 2022- The Montgomery County Planning Board approved the Wheaton Gateway Sketch plan 320210060 for construction of up to 910,233 square feet of total development, comprised of up to 65,000 square feet of non-residential uses and up to 845,223 square feet of residential uses with 30 percent Moderately Priced Dwelling Units. You can review that plan here.
On March 11, 2024- The Wheaton Gateway hosted a community meeting on March 11 to review a proposed preliminary plan and site plan and submission and released a video of that meeting.
On October 7, 2024- The Wheaton Gateway team hosted a community meeting to review an update of the preliminary plan and site plan for the development and shared a recording of that meeting.
For the very latest information, please see the latest news and updates about Wheaton Gateway.
How can I stay informed about the progress?
We are committed to maintaining an open dialog and welcome your feedback. We encourage interested members of the community to stay informed by:
Following our website, joining our mailing list, and submitting your questions, comments and feedback: WheatonGateway.com
Following the project’s approval progress with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission: mncppc.org
Sending an email or letter of support to the Montgomery County Planning Board or testifying at a future public hearing.
Attending meetings with civic organizations and homeowners’ associations.
What if I have another question?
Our development team is committed to keeping the community informed and maintaining an open dialog. Please contact us if you have any additional questions or wish to share feedback with our development team.