WMATA breaks ground on North Bethesda Station development project
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) new high-rise residential building being constructed by LCOR at the North Bethesda Metro Station is in the final phase of construction.
The 354-unit building – to be named Envoi - will be constructed on a 1.6-acre parcel owned by WMATA and ground leased to LCOR, through WMATA's Joint Development Program.
Once completed, the WMATA-LCOR partnership will result in 2 million square feet of mixed-use development at the station, including 1,300 residential units, of which 164 will be affordable housing.
"This project at North Bethesda shows the positive impacts of WMATA's partnerships across the region, generating economic benefit, creating new revenue and ridership for WMATA and supporting sustainability through transit-oriented development," said WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. "We have the most robust joint development program in the nation and plan to accelerate development of WMATA assets in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia to help maintain safe, reliable and affordable transportation."
The 12-story Envoi is the final phase of a 2001 joint development agreement between WMATA and LCOR and is the fourth residential building constructed at the site as part of the "The Quad at Pike District."
WMATA has received more than $40 million in upfront ground lease payments, fees and other payments from the development, which will also generate approximately $350 million in state and local tax revenues during the next 30 years.
The project is also supported by the More Housing at Metro Act, enacted by Montgomery County in 2021, to incentivize development of transit-accessible, affordable housing units on WMATA properties in Montgomery County, Md.
WMATA has an additional 13 acres of undeveloped property at the North Bethesda Station and is working with the county on an initiative to create a life science anchored transit-oriented development. A future solicitation is planned to select a development team for that site.
The joint development supports WMATA's Strategic Transformation Plan to maximize regional opportunities and partnerships, support sustainability and deliver revenue to provide service excellence through safe, reliable transit options.
Under WMATA's 10-Year Strategic Plan for Joint Development Metro, the agency seeks to advance 20 joint development projects by 2032. Current mixed-use projects are under construction at College Park-U of MD, Grosvenor-Strathmore and New Carrollton stations. Predevelopment efforts are underway for projects at Capitol Heights, Congress Heights, Brookland-CUA, Fort Totten, Deanwood, Forest Glen, Takoma, Lottsford Road, West Hyattsville, Landover, Mill Road, Huntington and West Falls Church.
