The Montgomery County Planning Board has approved the construction of Marriott’s new headquarters in downtown Bethesda.
Marriott has been granted permission by the Montgomery County Planning Board to build its new headquarters at Norfolk and Wisconsin avenues, near the Bethesda Metro Station. Currently, the Marriott has a headquarters location on Fernwood Road by the southern end of the I-270 corridor and Capital Beltway intersection. Construction of the new headquarters is expected to be completed by summer of 2022, and will house the company’s 3,500 headquarter employees when it opens. [caption id="attachment_6851" align="aligncenter" width="878"]
Courtesy of Marriott[/caption]
The construction carries a price tag of $600 million dollars. Over the last few years, Marriott has been shopping around and exploring potential new locations for their headquarters. They decided to remain in Bethesda after Montgomery County and the State put together a $62-million incentive package -- $34 million of which was offered by the county and $28 million was offered by the state.
Once construction is complete, it will be the largest tower in Montgomery County. The building will be a 300-foot, 22-story, L shaped office tower; the company’s 246-room flagship hotel will be built beside the new headquarters. The two buildings will be will connected via a new plaza and sidewalks.
The new headquarters will be a cutting-edge workspace with state-of-the-art technology and modern amenities, including a childcare center, fitness center and cafeteria. Marriott also has plans to include an 800-car underground parking garage.
Bernstein Companies will own the building which is expected to break ground sometime in the next year.
[caption id="attachment_6850" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Courtesy of Marriott[/caption]
The plan’s approval is great news for the community as the company will hire hundreds of new hotel employees while also bringing guests and their spending money to the area, helping to energize downtown Bethesda and the local economy. While most community members and politicians are highly supportive of the Board’s decision, some are worried about the impact on traffic in the local area.
What are your thoughts on the new headquarters? Let us know in the comments below.
