Donohoe Companies to Develop Near New Silver Spring Library, Purple Line Rail Site

Whether the acre adjacent to the Silver Spring Library at the corner of Bonifant and Fenton Streets will become condos or apartments, retail or restaurants, it's too early to tell. Here's what we do know: Donohoe Companies and Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) have been given the go to develop a mixed-purpose, mixed-income project.

The location is key, since the site abuts a future purple line station, scheduled to break ground in 2013. The sixteen mile light rail line will run between Bethesda and New Carrollton. The county issued an RFQ last February, and estimated that the site could hold 120 units of housing, but required that 60% of the housing on the site be subsidized.

VOA Associates have been chosen as architects for the project, which, according to a designer in the Washington office, could begin sometime in 2011. As these things go, we're guessing rail construction time lines will shape development; sometime in 2011 seems soon.

Richard Nelson, Director of Montgomery County's Department of Housing and Urban Affairs says as much. “Transit-oriented urban infill projects can be challenging," he said, "and it was essential to select a team with deep experience in transit-oriented development, multi-family housing, tight infill locations and mixed-use development.”

And don't forget about the rehabbing of the Silver Spring Library. The public has been weighing in on color (Apparently MCPL gave residents free reign to weigh in until earlier this month) materials and design for the 30 million dollar project, which is scheduled to begin in about a year and will take two years to complete.

It's likely the Donohoe project will align with the development of its potential neighbors. Let's hope three years from now when the projects are complete, residents will still like the library colors.

Silver Spring real estate development news