1984 plans for downtown Bethesda preservation
The Washington Post ran this article on May 3, 1984, a couple of months before the Bethesda Metro station opened for business. They were trying to figure out how many of the mid-20th century commercial buildings in downtown Bethesda to preserve, since landowners there were already working on selling their land for the big office buildings and apartment buildings that surround the Metro station now.
So what became of the buildings in the photos? Let's take a look:
Lotus Restaurant, 8224 Wisconsin Avenue
Torn down and replaced by gas station! The building next door is still there though.
Super Surplus Center, 8008 Wisconsin Avenue
Most of the building is still an army surplus store (Ranger Surplus), but the corner has been taken over by a cleaners called Bethesda Valet.
Big Wheel Bikes, 7248 Wisconsin Avenue
Almost all of this block was torn down for new office buildings, but for some reason the building on the right in the old pic (the dark-colored one with the air conditioner in its window), which sits at a weird angle to the street, was preserved as a little incongruity in the block and now contains a United Bank branch.
Big Wheel Bikes itself is still in business, but it has moved a few blocks away to a strategic location next to the Capital Crescent Trail, a bike trail that didn't exist yet in 1984 (the bike trail was still a railroad spur back then).
So what became of the buildings in the photos? Let's take a look:
Lotus Restaurant, 8224 Wisconsin Avenue
Torn down and replaced by gas station! The building next door is still there though.
Super Surplus Center, 8008 Wisconsin Avenue
Most of the building is still an army surplus store (Ranger Surplus), but the corner has been taken over by a cleaners called Bethesda Valet.
Big Wheel Bikes, 7248 Wisconsin Avenue
Almost all of this block was torn down for new office buildings, but for some reason the building on the right in the old pic (the dark-colored one with the air conditioner in its window), which sits at a weird angle to the street, was preserved as a little incongruity in the block and now contains a United Bank branch.
Big Wheel Bikes itself is still in business, but it has moved a few blocks away to a strategic location next to the Capital Crescent Trail, a bike trail that didn't exist yet in 1984 (the bike trail was still a railroad spur back then).