DATE: February 21, 2003
Public Invited March 4 and 13 for Closer Look at Design Guidelines for Future Downtown and New Library ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 21, 2003 - After generating considerable excitement at their unveiling earlier this week, the draft design guidelines for Rockville’s future Town Center, and the new Rockville Regional Library that will be the downtown focal point, will be the subject of further public review on Tuesday, March 4, and Thursday, March 13, at two “open houses” at City Hall. Rockville City planners will be available each evening, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., to provide details and answer questions about the draft design guidelines. The guidelines include sketches, architectural concepts and street and sidewalk plans. The draft design guidelines are an integral part of the project because once the final guidelines are approved, private developers will be required to build their various projects according to the guidelines. The draft design guidelines include schematics of building and street plans for the area to be developed that is bordered by Beall Avenue on the north; Middle Lane on the south; North Washington Street on the west and Maryland Route 355 on the east. Public input is invited for the next four to six weeks. After the draft design guidelines are approved by the City’s Planning Commission and the Mayor and Council, architects will prepare final designs for each building. Those final designs will then follow the City’s development review process. It is intended that construction on the library and the first parking garage will begin in late 2003 and those structures will be completed by late 2005. At a public presentation on Feb. 19, residents were excited by the overall plan that included a mix of retail, restaurant, entertainment, residential and office uses. A town square is included in the design, along with wide sidewalks that will encourage a pedestrian environment and outdoor cafes. The planned residential projects will include more than 480 apartments and 170 condominiums. Three public parking garages and one private garage, along with on-street parking, will create extensive parking to support the project. The library was designed to be a signature building for Rockville. Its design includes a mix of past, present and future. It will have large bay windows and reading areas near glass, so readers can enjoy a view as well. It will have extensive computer stations; more than 200,000 volumes; areas devoted to accommodate children and teenagers; and two large public meeting rooms. The proposed building appearances in Town Center would create an “historic” retail street character that is different from other City streets. In addition to the look of building appearances, the guidelines addressed how the town square will be used for special events such as the Memorial Day Hometown Holidays celebration and as host of the summer Farmers’ Market. The Feb. 19 public presentation of the draft design guidelines were videotaped by The Rockville Channel (cable channel 11) and will be rebroadcast throughout March on the following schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 4 p.m.; and Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. The presentation also is available at those times on streaming video through the City Web site at www.ci.rockville.md.us. The Web site also hosts a special section devoted to Town Center. It is expected that development of the first 15 acres of Town Center will require about $219 million in private investment (70 percent of the cost) and $97.5 million in public funding (30 percent of the cost). The public funding will be a combination of City of Rockville, Montgomery County, State of Maryland and federal contributions. Information on the draft design guidelines is available at from Rockville’s Department of Community Planning and Development Services at City Hall at 240-314-8200. # # # #
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