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Putting the Luster Back
Master Plan Aims for Downtown Sparkle
By Susan DeFord
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, December 9, 1999; Page M01
These are the early signs of the rebirth of Silver Spring's downtown: a
skeleton of steel girders, walls of gray concrete block and mounds of dirt
along North Fenton Street.
There will be a supermarket by summer, joined by a hardware store and
shops. Two blocks away, the historic Silver Theatre awaits renovation as the
home for the American Film Institute, and Discovery Communications Inc. is
planning its new headquarters nearby.
The remaking of Silver Spring's downtown core is only the beginning,
however, of an ambitious proposal to revive the entire sprawling commercial
district in what would be one of Maryland's largest urban renewal projects.
It will take a massive effort--and a lot of public and private money--to
transform the 350-acre central business district, more than twice the size of
Bethesda's prosperous and popular commercial area.
"Imagine downtown Silver Spring becoming that kind of an economic
engine," said County Council member Derick Berlage (D), whose district
includes Silver Spring. He spoke Tuesday during the council's review of a
proposed growth plan for the commercial area. "This is truly an investment
we can't afford not to make."
The council, which is scheduled to formally adopt the plan in January,
supports the plan's major proposals and made few changes during Tuesday's
discussion of suggested revisions. Earlier plans to redevelop Silver Spring
were dogged by dissension and eventually failed. "Everybody is on the same
page, finally," Berlage said after the meeting.
The master plan envisions Silver Spring's downtown as a cluster of
neighborhoods, each with distinctive features such as small businesses, arts
and entertainment, new housing and an expanded community college
campus. The tree-lined streets would connect to an expanded transit center,
and the area's economic health will rely largely on the American Film
Institute and Discovery Communications.
County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D), who doggedly coaxed
businesses into Silver Spring, said the huge public investment outlined in the
master plan is worth it. Five years from now, "I'm convinced it will be the
hottest urban center in the Washington region," he said. "People won't
recognize it."
A Time of Discovery
What will the new downtown Silver Spring look like? For starters, it's likely
that the skyline will be reshaped by Discovery's $150 million headquarters at
the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road. Representatives for
the international multimedia company already have sought county approval to
exceed the downtown height limit of 200 feet.
Dom Fioravanti, Discovery senior vice president, cautioned that the firm's
architects have not settled on a design, but he added: "We feel a sense of
responsibility. We would like to put a terrific piece of architecture on the site
for ourselves and for the community."
Construction of Discovery's headquarters for an estimated 1,800 employees
is planned to begin late next year, while Discovery's film production facilities
will move into the former Caldor discount store building on East West
Highway in the spring.
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