The American Society of Health System Pharmacists owns the Apex Building atop the CCT and future Purple Line.
shoehorning two train tracks, passenger platforms and a 12-foot-wide trail through existing easements and right of way under the Apex Building poses serious and expensive engineering problems, officials contend. They say the best solution would be to demolish the building, which houses the pharmacists group, the Regal Bethesda movie theaters and other businesses.
The only problem with this prescriptive was that while surrounding property owners were interested, the pharmacists weren’t.
But that may be changing. ASHP recently hired Holland & Knight attorney David Silver to handle talks with the county, which appear to be getting serious.
“We’re now having discussions on what would work for us,” Silver said. “We’re seriously considering it and they may be in a position to make it worth our while.”
That would mean tearing down Apex to give builders unfettered access to build the station and then granting the pharmacists’ group zoning to rebuild at a higher density. Or, the group could sell to a third-party developer.
See that Metropolitan AME? THAT is what a win-win looks like.
My inductive reasoning is not working well today. What is the analogous deal that DDOT might offer the AME? 100 residential parking passes? That might work.
Posted by: JimT | August 23, 2013 at 07:55 AM
DDOT could pay a fee to one on the parking garages to set aside 5-20 additional spaces for use by the church. Or give the parking garage a break on parking taxes.
Posted by: washcycle | August 23, 2013 at 08:32 AM
Even without the added complication of the trail underneath the building, I have long felt that doing the work with the current building in place would prove far more complicated and expensive than anticipated. In addition, the current building represents a lot of potential increased density in the absolute most sensible location.
Let's hope this deal falls into place. It would be win-win-win, and I'm even tempted to throw in another win for removing another "reason" from the selfish NIMBYism of the "Friends" of the CCT.
Posted by: Crickey7 | August 23, 2013 at 09:22 AM
paying someone for their building and allowing them to redevelop it so that new public facilities can be built is a win-win. Giving them everything they want is not win-win. The analogy with the AME church would have the ASHSP able to block the purple line because some of their members like to walk on the current CCT.
Posted by: SJE | August 23, 2013 at 11:02 AM
Add a better movie theater in a new Bethesda building and it could be a win-win-win situation.
Posted by: Michael H. | August 23, 2013 at 02:07 PM
I share a residential block with a legacy DC church that is all-Maryland residents, weekday funeralgoers, the works. I get it. Re AME, what was most important to them was to have their way, not to have a plausible reason why. What my once a week neighbors want, probably what AME wants, is no change. None. They don't feel they need to offer an explanation. "We were here first" is enough. Parking was probably what came to mind when pressed to offer another one. I don't blame them if it's a weak reason. I blame the administration for accepting it.
Posted by: Read Scott Martin | August 23, 2013 at 06:40 PM
No way DC should pay for private parking for MD residents. That is crazy and will never fly. AME does not own the lane across the street from their church. Just because they wine very loudly doesn't mean DC government has to pay them money.
Over time the power/influence of AME church is dwindling. If you live in MD do you really want to drive downtown to church? The old guard who have been members for decades and too old to switch churches will get older and die off. Younger people will join churches near their homes. That's just what happens to churches.
The church will see their membership continue to fall and will move to MD or become a shell of its former self. It makes no sense to keep the church downtown when its members have moved and there is no point in DC helping to prop up a church that's shrinking.
All those funerals are evidence of the church congregation shrinking.
Posted by: turtleshell | August 25, 2013 at 11:53 AM