Developers have about a month and a half to finish proposals for an arena on a lucrative piece of Montgomery County land where two underused parking garages currently sit in downtown Silver Spring.
The county first pitched the idea for a 5,000-seat arena at the site next to the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center in December. Earlier this month, county transportation officials held a meeting to give developers more details about what they’re looking for in a project proposal. Developers have until April 10 to submit proposals.
At the Feb. 1 meeting, the county indicated it was looking for a developer to build the arena—possibly with a mixed-use residential and commercial building—without using any county funds. The developer would be responsible for replacing parking at the site with a garage that would continue to be owned and operated by the county, according to minutes from the meeting posted online.
“We believe the location is ideal,” Jose Thommana, chief of the county’s Division of Parking Management, said Thursday. He said the downtown spot’s proximity to the transit center and Silver Spring Metro station would provide a future arena with accessibility “without having a large impact on our transportation network.”
He said the county has not received any proposals yet.
Click here to read the rest of the story written by Andrew Metcalf over at Bethesda Magazine