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October 11, 2018 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

Life Time Athletic eyeing the mall — plus the latest on Cabin John, Wildwood & Rockville Town Square

Here’s your retail & restaurant scoop for the week of Oct. 11, 2018.

Life Time Athletic in Rockville

Life Time Athletic eyeing the mall

Big news on the fitness front: We’re hearing that Life Time Athletic is making plans for a posh new location at Westfield Montgomery mall. The club would offer similar amenities to Life Time’s two-year-old location in Gaithersburg, including a restaurant, a spa and possibly a swimming pool. Mall-based clubs are a new initiative for Life Time, which opened a massive one just this week in Oklahoma City. At Westfield Montgomery, construction would take about two years and would likely start after the Sears store is demolished next winter. The new gym would be part of a major upcoming expansion for Westfield Montgomery; click here for more in our June 21st issue. (Editor’s note: For an update on this story, click here for our Oct. 25th edition.)

1-800-GOT-JUNK
Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster
Cabin John Shopping Center

Construction begins at Cabin John

Cabin John Village will begin a new round of construction on Monday (Oct. 15th), kicking off a nine-month project that will transform the center’s outdated facade and front parking lot. It’s the next phase of a long-term master plan from D.C. developer Edens, which has been studying the community’s needs since it bought Cabin John two years ago. “We heard you, we watched, we observed, we listened,” says spokesman Meghann Klein. The ’70s-style maroon roofline is going away, to be replaced by a clean, contemporary design with a wood under-canopy and updated lighting. New landscaping, benches and tables will be added throughout the property, especially in the area outside Goldberg’s Bagels. The front parking lot will be re-paved and reconfigured, with brighter lights, wider spaces and curbside parking for quick trips. Also on the way: decorative string lights and better signage. “The property is going to feel more homey, more like a neighborhood,” Klein says. All businesses will remain open during construction, which should be done by next spring.

Taff & Levine D.D.S.
Shin Orthodontics
Pandora Seafood House & Bar

More closings in downtown Rockville

Rockville Town Square took another hit this week with the closing of Pandora Seafood House & Bar, which replaced the failed American Tap Room just a year ago. The glitzy restaurant, which is exiting amidst legal battles over its rent and lease agreement, joins Mellow Mushroom and Dawson’s Market in a fall exodus that may not be over yet. The nearby Apollo restaurant also is planning to leave, Samovar has been closed for several weeks due to water damage, and some other Town Square tenants say they may not stay much longer. At a jam-packed community meeting this week, two types of complaints were voiced repeatedly: Rents are too high for tenants to make a profit, and visitors resent paying for parking when it’s free at almost every other shopping center in Rockville.

Wintergreen Plaza
Wink Eyecare Boutique
Wildwood Shops parking lot

Parking is back at Wildwood

Parking at Wildwood got a whole lot easier this week as the Bethesda shopping center wrapped up construction in its front lot. When the second phase of the buildout is completed next spring, the center will have gained 42 new parking spaces plus a new outdoor common area with tables, chairs and lounges. Also: In case you’ve been hearing some buzz that parking meters are on the way, owner Federal Realty tells us those rumors are not true. Parking at Wildwood will continue to be free.

Explore Kensington
Coco Blanca at the Wildwood Shops

Coco Blanca on the way out

On a sadder note for the Shops at Wildwood, the charming Coco Blanca boutique is closing its doors after a three-year run. This was the third and last location for Coco Blanca, which started at National Harbor and also had a store in Old Town Alexandria. The chain had an avid following for its tone-on-tone mix of clothing, accessories and home goods, but owners say they’re ready to move on. Doors will remain open until Thanksgiving weekend, unless the inventory sells out sooner.

Washington Hebrew Congregation Holiday Boutique

Did you miss these issues?

New golf store, new booze store, new fitness options for Potomac & Rockville
Rockville movie theater reaches “The End,” Party City goes bankrupt
Macy’s closing sale, new Potomac pet shop and a sushi sneak peek
Amazon grocery stalls, Bed Bath & Beyond at a breaking point, home-baked desserts & new teen store at the mall
Year-end wrap-up: The biggest openings & closings in Rockville, Potomac & North Bethesda
Last-minute shopping for kids & “kidults,” new teen store on the way
New sushi & Chinese BBQ, new place to chill at Wintergreen Plaza
New Potomac salon, Pike & Rose restaurant & Squishables
Cabin John sushi, new owners for Amalfi, Popeyes goes dark

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Filed Under: Cabin John Village, Clothing and Accessories, Downtown Rockville, Fitness & Beauty, Rockville Town Square, Seafood, Westfield Montgomery mall, Wildwood Shops

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Recent Issues

  • New golf store, new booze store, new fitness options for Potomac & Rockville
  • Rockville movie theater reaches “The End,” Party City goes bankrupt
  • Macy’s closing sale, new Potomac pet shop and a sushi sneak peek
  • Amazon grocery stalls, Bed Bath & Beyond at a breaking point, home-baked desserts & new teen store at the mall
  • Year-end wrap-up: The biggest openings & closings in Rockville, Potomac & North Bethesda
  • Last-minute shopping for kids & “kidults,” new teen store on the way
  • New sushi & Chinese BBQ, new place to chill at Wintergreen Plaza
  • New Potomac salon, Pike & Rose restaurant & Squishables
  • Cabin John sushi, new owners for Amalfi, Popeyes goes dark
  • Holiday deals, unhappy returns and kosher bowls at Cabin John
  • New Indian & Italian food for Rockville Pike, holiday pop-up bar at the mall
  • Dick’s on the Pike, Red Orchard expands, Slapfish is fried
  • Middle Eastern & Greek food, collectible sneakers, latest on Pike & Rose
  • Hello Thai food, goodbye Vera Bradley, new jewels for the mall
  • Hello Toys R Us, goodbye Sport & Health — plus a store that will knock your socks off
  • New plan for Rockville shopping center, Chopt on the way to Cabin John
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  • Rockville rundown: Town Square is sold, Dick’s on the way, bye bye Bambū
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  • New drinks for Rockville Pike, new scoops for Cabin John & the first sign of Halloween
  • New sushi scene in Potomac Village, last call for Rockville sports bar
  • New pizzeria & ice cream for Cabin John, young Asian designers hit the mall
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  • Mall movie theater update, two new sushi spots, hello Pama Thai & goodbye Snowbots
  • Wegmans update, new development on Rockville Pike, HomeSense sets a date
  • Summer ice cream scoop: New creamery for Cabin John and a Baskin Robbins update
  • French bakery opens, farmers market on the way to Cabin John Village — plus J. Crew debuts on Rockville Pike
  • Last days for Lahinch — plus new restaurants & new boutiques at the mall
  • New owners for Normandie Farm, pet store for Park Potomac, goodbye to two Rockville restaurants
  • New toy store, four closings and a makeover at the mall

Who's the Store Reporter?

Cheryl Kane Heimlich has been a staff writer, columnist, editor and contributor to a dozen publications including the South Florida Business Journal, Bethesda Magazine, Miami Today, Miami Metro, Vista Magazine, St. Louis Magazine, the Boca Raton Observer, Washington Jewish Week and Variety. She has won numerous awards for her magazine profiles, parenting columns and business news coverage.

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