Business

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) Board of Directors today announced that MCEDC President & CEO Benjamin H. Wu has submitted his resignation effective August 15, 2022. Executive Vice President & COO Bill Tompkins will assume the position of President & CEO.

“We thank Ben for his service and his dedication and life-long commitment to Montgomery County. As we continue to position and elevate Montgomery County as one of the premier regions in the country in which to do business, our vision remains clear and focused. We are confident that Bill’s leadership, business acumen and reputation as a strong and well-respected collaborative business partner will help to ensure a smooth and seamless transition and advance the organization to the next level.”


MDLottery

A Rockville resident is now $50,000 richer after she won top prize on a Show Me $50,000! scratch-off ticket. The retired military veteran, who is calling herself “Money Lady,” made a visit to Lottery Headquarters on Aug. 3 to claim her prize and share her story.

The 66-year-old, who is legally blind, explained that she bought the ticket at Giant #319 located at 625 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. She hit a few selections, but some of the ticket slots in the machine were empty.


Cava

Coming soon signage is up for Cava Digital Kitchen at 19865 Century Blvd in Germantown, which is replacing the recently closed Zoe’s Kitchen. CAVA opened their first Digital Kitchen in Sandy Spring, GA back in March. According to a social media posts by CAVA,  “CAVA Digital Kitchen has arrived… Just order ahead on our app or our site for easy pickup or delivery! Convenient *and* delicious. Build your bowl: order.cava.com.”

CAVA, the fast-casual restaurant that started in MoCo, acquired Zoe’s and its 200+ restaurants in 2018 for approximately $300 million


Maryland

“Child care has been critical to our recovery efforts in Maryland, and making sure providers have the resources they need to operate remains a top priority,” said Governor Hogan. “Our administration is grateful to our state’s child care providers for their unwavering commitment over the last two years, and we look forward to working closely with them to allocate this additional relief.”

Earlier this year, Governor Hogan announced the allocation of an additional $50 million in grant funding in his FY23 budget to support child care providers. In accordance with House Bill 89, enacted by the governor on April 21, 2022, these grants will be disbursed in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 to providers that have faced a financial hardship or suffered an operational burden during the pandemic. Grant funds may be used to support the developmental and learning needs of children, promote equitable access to high-quality child care, and support a professional workforce that is fairly and appropriately compensated for their essential skilled work. MSDE will assist providers with the application process through a system of customer service supports in advance of the application deadline, which is Monday, August 29.


Event

General admission is $25 per person, which includes chili tastings. Free Admission for kids under 18, Police Officers and their Family is provided by MCPF). All proceeds benefit the Foundation’s mission to strengthen community-police relationships, support officers wellness, and enhance public safety initiatives across Montgomery County.

In addition to delicious chili, attendees can enjoy local craft beer from Lone Oak Brewery, family activities, and opportunities to meet and interact with Montgomery County police officers in a fun, relaxed setting.


Bethesda

Eater DC released a list of ’15 Top-Tier Vegan Restaurants Around D.C.’ and four restaurants locate din Montgomery County have made the list. According to the article, “There are chic, upscale tasting menus; homey vegan comfort food spots with hefty, filling plates; and massive, consistent fast-casual chains.“, while also noting that quality vegan meals can be found at many restaurants that didn’t make the list. The four Montgomery County restaurants on the list can be seen below:

PLNT Burger (MoCo locations within Whole Foods in North Bethesda and Silver Spring):


Gaithersburg

Royal Farms has opened, Wawa is on the way, and many have been waiting for the trifecta to be complete with the Sheetz announcement. Good news for the lovers of the convenience store/gast station, as Sheetz, Inc., has submitted Final Site Plan application, SP-9217-2022, requesting approval for a 6,139 square foot convenience retail store with drive-through and automobile filling station at 751 Progress Way, located off of N. Frederick Rd (355) in Gaithersburg.

Sheetz will be part of the new Progress Labs development, which is very visible from the corner of Montgomery Village Avenue and 355. Progress Labs at Progress Way in Gaithersburg, MD is a two-building approximately 495,000 SF development situated on 44 acres with I-270 visibility and access off of exit 11 Montgomery Village Avenue. Construction commenced at Progress Labs at 700 N. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, MD back in October, and according to the video below (posted by Progress Labs on Monday, July 18th), is scheduled to be delivered in Q4 of 2022.


Gaithersburg

Back in May, Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a global commercial real estate developer, unveiled plans to develop The Labs at Belward, a world-class life science campus, in the “Shady Grove area of Montgomery County, Md” (Muddy Branch Rd/Great Seneca Hwy/Darnestown Rd). The Labs at Belward, located at the Belward Campus of The Johns Hopkins University, will initially include 757,000 square feet of trophy lab and research and discovery space across three buildings. The project has the potential to grow to approximately 1.6 million square feet across seven buildings. Construction of the initial 757,000 square feet will begin June 2023 and is slated to be completed in early 2025.

A Belward Campus Concept Plan application was submitted to the Montgomery County Planning Board by Lerch Early Brewer, on behalf of the Trammell Crow Company, on March 7, 2022. It included a few renderings of what the completed project could look like if the previously mentioned potential of 1.6 million square feet across seven buildings is reached. The project, which is designed to achieve LEED Gold standard, will be supported by secured structured parking and will also feature an expansive six-acre public park that will include an amphitheater, recreational fields, and two retail pavilions totaling approximately 6,000 square feet. The plan also includes activating large wooded buffer areas, installing several miles of bike and walking trails, and preserving the site’s significant natural elements. Renderings, courtesy of Montgomery Planning, can be seen below.


Montgomery Village

Permanent signage has been installed at the new Montgomery Village Starbucks, which will be located at the former site of the Montgomery Village Denny’s (19290 Montgomery Village Ave.)  The drive through menu screen/speaker was also recently installed and construction is ongoing on the interior of the store. No opening date has been announced but the store is expected to open by the fall.

Earlier this week we reported that Hangry Joe’s will be coming to the space next to the upcoming Starbucks.  Hangry Joe’s opened a location at 2533 Ennals Ave in Wheaton back in May and has additional locations opening at 10050 Darnestown Road in the Travilah Square shopping center and at 718-B Rockville Pike.


MoCo Government

As mail-in and provisional ballots continue to be counted in the Democratic primary for Montgomery County Executive, the latest update by the Maryland State Board of Elections (9:17pm, 8/2) shows that incumbent Marc Elrich (50,765, 39.30%) has increased his lead over David Blair (50,592, 39.17%) to 173 votes.

David Blair led by 1,191 votes when early voting and Election Day votes were tallied. Elrich took the lead early on during the canvassing of mail-in votes, but Blair closed the gap and eventually reclaimed the lead. Elrich regained the lead on the first day of August, and increased it by 53 additional votes in Tuesday night‘s update. Overall, Blair has received 21,238 mail-in/provisional ballot votes compared to 22,737 for Marc Elrich. Marc Elrich defeated David Blair by just 77 votes in the 2018 Democratic Primary.


Montgomery College

Following the announcement, the representatives had the opportunity to observe the College’s Healthcare Heroes Camp and tour the building.

“STEM camps offered over the summer to middle and high school students across the county are designed to develop passions or increase interest in STEM programs,” said Dr. Sanjay Rai, Montgomery College senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “These programs are vital to building a homegrown talent pipeline. These scholarships provide additional benefits to our middle and high school students and will help more students participate each summer.”