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Town Center Master Plan

The Mayor and Council adopted the Town Center Master Plan in 2001. Under the direction of City planning staff, planning consultants Development Concepts, Inc. and HNTB prepared the plan in conjunction with the Town Center Master Plan Advisory Group, which consisted of City residents, Town Center property owners and developers, and representatives from government and other organizations. The plan represents a clear vision and provides a framework for the future of Rockville's Town Center and its continuing revitalization.

Phase I – Town Square
Implementation of the plan began with Phase I; the 15-acre area bounded by Beall Avenue to the north, Rockville Pike (Route 355) to the east, East Middle Lane to the south, and North Washington Street to the west. This area includes the 2.5-acre portion owned by Foulger-Pratt, which has built one of the three approved office buildings that will ultimately total 600,000 square feet.

The other 12.5 acres in Phase I consists of Rockville Town Square, a mixed-used public-private development designed to create a new heart for the City in Town Center and be a catalyst for future redevelopment.  Groundbreaking for Town Square took place on June 15, 2004. After three years of construction, the Grand Opening was held in July 2007. 

Rockville Town Square consists of 644 residential units (both condominiums and apartments, 15 percent of which are affordable, moderately-priced dwelling units (MPDUs), 175,000 square feet of street-level shops and restaurants, a vibrant plaza fronted by the new Rockville Library, a new home for VisArts, the Rockville Innovation Center, and three public parking garages. Town Square is bisected by an extension of Maryland Avenue, Town Center’s “Main Street”, and includes the addition of Gibbs Street. As directed by the plan, sidewalks are wide and allow for outdoor dining, entertainment and pedestrian-oriented activities. The proximity of the Rockville Metrorail station enhances pedestrian connectivity.

Future Development in Town Center
The City, county, residents, property owners, and developers will continue to play essential roles in future plan implementation. The plan envisions development activity in other areas of Town Center, including but not limited to: north of Beall Avenue, between North Washington and Rockville Pike (Route 355); on the open parking lot between West Montgomery and East Middle Lane; on the Rockville Metro Station parking lot; and on the balance of the Foulger-Pratt office site next to Town Square. The goal is to continue the vision of an easily identifiable, pedestrian-oriented daytime, evening, and weekend activity center that incorporates a mix of uses and amenities.

Town Center Design Guidelines
The character of all new development in Town Center is guided by the approved Design Guidelines to ensure that new projects meet the intent of the plan. The guidelines provide design principles for developers and designers to follow as the City continues implementation of the Town Center Plan, and were centrally important for the Town Square project.

For more information, contact Rockville's Long Range Planning Division within the Department of Community Planning and Development Services at 240-314-8200 or by e-mail at planning@rockvillemd.gov. The Approved and Adopted Town Center Master Plan can be downloaded by chapters in PDF format, and can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader.