DOWNTOWN BETHESDA PLAN

RETAIL PLANNING STRATEGY

RETAILMARKETANALYSIS

Inventoryof
Retail
Appropriate
Spaces

RETAILPLANNING

STUDYMETHODOLOGY

Documentation
andEvaluation
ofExistingRetail
Clusters

Assessment
ofExisting
and
Proposed
Retail
Competition

Spendingby
Existing
Customer
Basesand
Anticipated
NewOnes

Calculation
ofUnmet
Retail
Demandby
Districtand
Downtown

PlanforRetail
Redevelopment
andGrowthin
Appropriate
Locations

DISTRICTSSTUDIED

ARLINGTONSOUTH
BETHESDAROW
METRO
PEARLDISTRICT
WISCONSINNORTH
WISCONSINSOUTH
WOODMONTTRIANGLE

RETAILBUSINESSESSENTIALS
Visibility(fromanactivestreet/sidewalk busy,butnottoobusy)
Visibility(intothestoreorrestaurant)
Accessibility
Ceilingheights12orhigher,baywidthin20footincrements
Necessaryutilities/servicesforbusinesstype
Adjacentbusinessesthatattractsimilartypesofcustomers
Retailmarketsneedadiversityofshoppinganddiningoptions
Duplicatingsuccessfulretailmodelsinthesamemarketcauses
cannibalismandsystemicfailure

DOWNTOWNBETHESDARETAILOBSERVATIONS
Trafficvolumesandnumberoflanesareunavoidableobstaclesto
makingWisconsinAvenueintoaretailmainstreet.
OldGeorgetownRoadhasthesameissue.
Businessesininferiorretailspacesstruggle.
InteriorandsubterraneanretailspacesdominanttheMetro
district.
ResidentialtoretailconversionshindertheWoodmontTriangle
district.
BethesdaRowssuccessistiedtoparking,spacesthatmeet
modernretailrequirements,moderatetrafficlevels,and
concentrationofrestauranttenants.

OVERALLCONDITIONOFRETAILSUPPLY

EXISTINGINVENTORY

ARLINGTONSOUTH(18retailers)
BETHESDAROW(106retailers)
METRO(62retailers)
PEARLDISTRICT(3retailers)
WISCONSINNORTH(51retailers)
WISCONSINSOUTH(18retailers)
WOODMONTTRIANGLE(161retailers)

CLASSOFSPACE(BY#OFSPACESNOTTOTALSF)

CLASSC
14%

BTS
2%

CLASSA
33%

CLASSB
51%

CLASSA

CLASSB

CLASSC

BTS

RETAILCATEGORYDISTRIBUTION
NEIGHBORHOODGOODS&
SERVICES(NG&S)

GAFO
35%

NG&S
35%

FOOD&BEVERAGE(F&B)

F&B
30%

NG&S

F&B

GAFO

GENERALMERCHANDISE,APAREL,
FURNISHINGS&OTHER(GAFO)

EXISTINGSUPPLYVS.DEMAND
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000

Arlington
South

Bethesda
Row

Metro
ExistingSupply

Pearl

Wisconsin
North

ExistingDemand

Wisconsin Woodmont
South
Triangle

DEMANDPROJECTIONS
20,876SF
ArlingtonSouth

44,383SF

BethesdaRow
Metro

39,941SF

Pearl

82,375SF

WisconsinNorth
WisconsinSouth
WoodmontTriangle

50,000

ExistingDemand

100,000

150,000

2019Demand

200,000
2024Demand
ExistingSupply

250,000

300,000

2029Demand

350,000
2034Demand

400,000

450,000

RETAILDEMAND(2034)BYDISTRICT

UNMETRETAILDEMAND(2034)BYDISTRICT

WHATSHERENOW?

ARLINGTONSOUTH(18retailers)
BETHESDAROW(106retailers)
METRO(62retailers)
PEARLDISTRICT(3retailers)
WISCONSINNORTH(51retailers)
WISCONSINSOUTH(18retailers)
WOODMONTTRIANGLE(161
retailers)

NOADDITIONALSQ.FT.OFSUPPORTABLERETAIL

WOODMONTTRIANGLE:
concentrationofClassA
spacesupplementedbyWT
funkyspace
METRO:Sameamountof
space betterquality,
appropriatelocations
WISCONSINSOUTH:
RethinkwhatWisconsin
Avenueretailmeans.
Smallerstores,possible
nichemarket

ADDITIONALSQ.FT.OFSUPPORTABLERETAIL

WISCONSINNORTH:Retail
spaceclusteredatnorthern
edgeandgatewaytoWT
PEARL:Retailforthe
workplace,focusedina
walkableenvironment
BETHESDAROW:Buildon
whatsworking
ARLINGTONSOUTH:Urban
collectionoflargeformat
tenants,vehicularoriented

PROJECTEDRETAILNODES

PROJECTEDRETAILNODESFORWHOM?

GATEWAYS
commuters/residents/employees

NEIGHBORHOODCTR
residents/employees

PHYSICALCENTER
commuters/employees

REGIONALCTR
commuters/employees

DOWNTOWN BETHESDA PLAN

RETAIL PLANNING STRATEGY