Bai Khao Thai, a new a Thai restaurant, is preparing to open at 12944-D Travilah Rd in the Potomac Oak Center (Potomac/Travilah). The restaurant will be taking over the space that was recently home to 98 Cafe and previously home to Shanghai Cafe. Signage is now up and the restaurant is “coming soon” according to a small sign on the front door. An opening date is not yet available.
Third Hill Brewing Co., which is located in the former Astro Lab Brewing location at 8216 Georgia Ave in Silver Spring, will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday, August 19, from 1-10pm. There will be live music, special guests, giveaways, and games.
“The Silver Spring community will be celebrating our newest brewery! The Third Hill Brewing Co. grand opening “christening” (in lieu of a traditional ribbon cutting) will be on August 19 from 1pm-10pm. We are inviting you, the community, and government leaders to attend the official ceremony beginning at 2pm at Third Hill Brewing Co. at 8216 Georgia Avenue.
Dear Friends,
Over the last four years, and even during COVID19, we have been focused on supporting existing businesses, encouraging others to expand here and incubating new ones.
Montgomery County, MD is commonly known as being a suburb of the nation’s capital, but what might surprise some is that it is also home to a thriving biotech ecosystem. With over 350 life sciences companies, including global brands like AstraZeneca, United Therapeutics, and Novavax, Montgomery County anchors the third largest biophama hub in the U.S., behind only Boston and San Francisco.
Running annually in Washington D.C. for over 25 years, World Vaccine Congress attracts an international audience from over 80 countries and convenes more than 3,000 people to learn about the latest trends, research, and technologies in the vaccine industry. This year, Montgomery County took center stage, with a featured session on the extensive Biologics Value Chain in the County, as well as a session during which County Executive Marc Elrich spoke about the extensive resources available to companies here, and an exhibit space showcasing these resources.
A Complete Biologics Value Chain in One Region
One of the defining strengths of Montgomery County is its ability to support the full lifecycle of biologics, all the way from early research to large-scale manufacturing. During the panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Stefanie Trop, Director of Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce, local leaders emphasized that the region’s strength lies in its network of partners who work collaboratively across discovery, development, testing, and production. Panelists from companies in all stages of the value chain spectrum included Dr. Andrew Lees, Founder of Fina Biosolutions, Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies at AstraZeneca, Dr. Helen Sabzevari President & CEO of Precigen, and Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer of Integrated BioTherapeutics.
This end-to-end capability in close geographical proximity gives companies a unique advantage and is rare to find in other markets, even established ones like San Francisco and Boston. In fact, only a handful of places worldwide offer the combination of infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration found in Montgomery County and if diversity, education and population density are taken into consideration – then Montgomery County standouts even more.
“Gaithersburg is one of the six places in the world where we can do what we’re doing,” explained Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca. “We have the right partners at every step of the value chain [in Montgomery County].”
A Strong Partnership Network
Biotech breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. They depend on strong partnerships between private companies, local and state governments, academic institutions, and workforce training organizations. Montgomery County has intentionally cultivated these connections, making collaboration and coordination defining characteristics of its life sciences ecosystem.
Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer at IBT Bioservices, a full service CRO offering clinical & preclinical contract research services, says the company’s close partnerships between them and local stakeholders have been crucial to its success. “As a Rockville-based company, we’re grateful for the partnership and support from city, County, and state leaders,” explained Dr. Holtsberg. “These programs have helped fuel our growth, and we’re excited about the continued momentum of our community.” (more…)
A few weeks back we provided an update on Twinbrook Quarter, the future home of Wegmans in the area of Halpine Rd and Rockville Pike. According to signage recently put up at the construction site, Wegmans is now expected to open in 2025 (photos of progress available below). Previously, a more general “Late 2024 or 2025” was the expected opening date of the grocery store. In addition to the grocery store, the upcoming neighborhood has approval for 480,000 SF of retail (which includes the 80,000 SF Wegmans and an additional 25,000 SF of additional retail/restaurants in the first phase. Twinbrook Quarter will also consist of 450 apartment homes (The Milton) and 248,000 SF of trophy office above. It will also include over 1,500 parking spaces with electric vehicle charging stations. Our previous update can be seen below:
Brick facades are currently nearing completion after a couple months of work on the exterior of the buildings. “As we progress with the brick façades around all sides of the new building, a variety of building styles, brick colors, heights and architectural features will emerge to give visual interest to the block and provide a different “identity” for each side. The brick work will continue through the summer and into the fall.” Interior work is also ongoing. “We are busy with interior work as well. We are framing the walls on the second and third floors that will define hallways, apartment interiors and other spaces. Plumbing pipes for water and sanitary, mechanical ductwork and electrical work are all in progress. Interior work will move progressively up the building, and well into 2024.”
Program Overview
This 6 week Saturday tennis clinic is designed for middle school players who want to learn and improve their tennis skills in a fun and supportive environment. Players will build confidence on the court while developing strong fundamentals and enjoying the game with other students.
Per MCPD: 37-year-old Anthony L. Green, of Washington, D.C., has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder and other related charges, for a shooting he allegedly committed on Saturday, July 15, 2023, in Silver Spring.
At approximately 1:54 p.m., an adult male victim walked into the fire station in the 8100 block of Georgia Ave. suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to his torso. He was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police have arrested 29-year-old Ricko Ford of Capital Heights and 30-year-old Wayne Pitt of Gaithersburg, for attempting to steal a Ride-On Metro Bus the morning of Friday, August 11, 2023, in the area of Connecticut Ave. and Georgia Ave. in Wheaton. At approximately 12:27 a.m., 4th District officers responded to the location for report of a carjacking.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that the male driver of the Ride-On Metro Bus picked up Ford and Pitt at the Glenmont Metro Station in Wheaton. Ford and Pitt told the bus driver that they wanted to go to Greenbelt. The bus driver told them that the bus was going to Montgomery Mall. Ford and Pitt approached the bus driver, and one of them told the bus driver he wanted the bus. The bus driver got off of the bus and walked away. Ford and Pitt are then seen attempting to drive away in the bus.
Greg Roche, known as Roche in his 22 years with DC 101, has announced that he has been terminated from the station and was told the station will be going in a different direction. Roche has been with DC 101 since 2001 and is a resident of Montgomery County. His full post can be seen below (featured photo courtesy of Roche on Air on Facebook):
https://www.facebook.com/100058144205314/posts/692192246062243/?mibextid=cr9u03
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Christine Mowat is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Christine Mowat, a missing 49-year-old.https://t.co/RPKaHK0bKS pic.twitter.com/0Fa7Ek3pKK
Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando, chair of the Council’s Education and Culture Committee, released the following statement related to the serious allegations regarding a Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) principal detailed in The Washington Post today.
“I am deeply disturbed by the The Washington Post’s article released this morning related to allegations regarding a MCPS principal. The allegations are serious and concerning, and must be thoroughly, impartially and comprehensively investigated. MCPS should be clear with the County Council and the public about how this matter will be investigated and ensure that community members are aware of how they can report experiences that may be relevant to the investigation.
A Montgomery County resident is $4,000,000 richer after claiming a winning Mega Millions ticket that was purchased at a Baltimore convenience store. Full story below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:
“The largest of the Mega Millionsprizes won in Maryland during the recent billion-dollar run – a $4 million second-tier hit – was claimed Aug. 11 by a player from Montgomery County. The player, for whom anonymity is a high priority, self-identified as a “Proud Marylander,” who is on the verge of retirement thanks to the big win.
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 3rd District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying suspects involved in a shooting that occurred on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, on November Circle in Silver Spring.
The preliminary investigation has determined that at approximately 4 p.m., four Black males and a separate lone Black male began shooting at each other in the 1500 block of November Circle. The lone male, wearing a white tank top, black shorts, white socks and dark shoes ran towards April Lane. Detectives believe he then entered a grey Honda Accord with heavy tint, which was then seen speeding through the parking lot. At the same time, the group of males, wearing all dark clothing, circled around a building on November Circle, shot off an additional round and then ran towards the White Oak Recreation Center.