A third Life Time Fitness location is being planned for Montgomery County as part of a major new mixed-use redevelopment project in downtown Bethesda.
Developer Promark Partners is proposing a three-building project called “Montgomery Pearl” that would replace several older office buildings near the intersection of Pearl Street and Montgomery Avenue, directly next to the Capital Crescent Trail and future Purple Line station.
The proposal would transform roughly 3.8 acres in Bethesda’s Pearl District into a large residential and lifestyle-focused development featuring hundreds of apartments, a massive new Life Time Fitness club, retail space, public gathering areas, and improved pedestrian connections to the trail system.
According to Montgomery Planning documents, the project would include up to 703,000 SF of development overall. That would break down into approximately 590 residential units, including affordable housing units required under the county’s MPDU program, along with about 78,000 SF of non-residential space.
The centerpiece of the non-residential portion would be a new 76,000 SF Life Time Fitness health and wellness club inside the project’s “Central Building.” The facility would become the company’s third Montgomery County location, joining existing clubs in Gaithersburg and North Bethesda.
Plans call for three separate buildings ranging from about 55 feet to 145 feet tall. The tallest structure would step down in height toward neighboring areas in an effort to better transition into the surrounding community.
The development would also include:
- A new urban plaza and terraced staircase leading toward the Capital Crescent Trail
- Wider sidewalks and upgraded streetscapes
- New bicycle infrastructure
- Additional landscaping and green space
- A redesigned Pearl Street intended to function as a more pedestrian-friendly “shared street”
- A mid-block connection improving walkability through the site
The project site currently contains several aging office buildings, including properties at 7300 Pearl Street and 4424 Montgomery Avenue.
According to reporting from Maryland Newsletters, Promark officials told the Planning Board that the Life Time Fitness component is a critical financial piece of the redevelopment and one of the main reasons the project is moving forward. The Planning Board recently approved the project’s Sketch Plan, which is considered an early stage in the county review process.
The proposal will still need additional approvals through Preliminary Plan and Site Plan reviews before construction can begin.
