Meeting to make final decision on redevelopment of Lakeforest Mall site is scheduled for September

The Mayor, City Council and Planning Commission held a joint public hearing on WRS, Inc.’s redevelopment of the Lakeforest Mall property on June 17, 2024, followed by a joint work session with the Mayor, City Council and Planning Commission held on July 8, 2024. Video of the meeting can be seen below, followed by representations of what is proposed for the area.

The Planning Commission will keep its file open until August 23, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. and is expected to make a recommendation to the Mayor and City Council on September 4, 2024. The Mayor and City Council will keep their file open until September 11, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. and expected political discussion and final decision on 26 September 2024. Comments on this application may be submitted either by mail to 31 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877 or by email to (email protected).

WRS, Inc. has submitted a Schematic Development Plan Application SDP-9736-2024 proposing to redevelop the existing Lakeforest Mall site with 1,600 residential units, 750,000 square feet for employment, 250,000 square feet for large format retail and 220,000 square feet for commercial use. In advance of the joint work session, WRS. Inc. presented the following:

“The redevelopment of the Lakeforest Mall site will create a modern, social place that faces outward and reconnects the surrounding neighborhoods. Living, working and playing will be brought together to create a vibrant and diverse community connected by ponds, canopies, parks and plazas. We envision a future for Lakeforest…with a collection of individual residential neighborhoods sharing a network of widely dispersed open spaces, connected by pleasant, walkable, human-scale environments that provide appropriate opportunities for residents to thrive.

Sense of place is an attribute created by a) the built environment of buildings and the spaces between them and b) the people who live, work and visit them. Highly successful places mix uses both horizontally and vertically within blocks and within buildings, encouraging activity on the sidewalks and in the open spaces surrounding them.

Housing diversity is a key element of the mix. Housing should provide opportunities for a wide range of residents, families and individuals, and age groups, both young and old. Properly integrated with other uses, housing can meet lifestyle needs and create a community that promotes civic awareness, street-level attention, and social interaction. The convenience and safety embedded in the design of such places make them better than good.

Housing diversity is a key element of the mix. Housing should provide opportunities for a wide range of residents, families and individuals, and age groups, both young and old. Properly integrated with other uses, housing can meet lifestyle needs and create a community that promotes civic awareness, street-level attention, and social interaction. The convenience and safety embedded in the design of such places make them better than good.”