Under Construction: The Argent (1200 Blair Mill)
By Silver Springer • Jul 23rd, 2007 • Category: Real Estate
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At least one of them is under construction. Looks like nothing happening yet at the Home Properties site next door. Maybe with all that is happening in this little area, someone will sell/buy the nasty looking auto repair/tire shop at the corner of 410 & Georgia and put something attractive there.
I kind of wish they would fix it up, but keep it as an auto repair place… That way I can just push my car there when it breaks down…
Woodsider said:
“At least one of them is under construction. Looks like nothing happening yet at the Home Properties site next door.”
Construction’s already started on that spot. The auto shop that was there was demolished a month (or more) ago. Seems like both buildings are on the same pace.
I agree - Silver Spring should only have attractive auto repair boutiques that serve lattes and have professional dog-sitters to occupy your dachshund while your oil is changed. None of those nasty-looking auto repair shops for us!
If I were to skim the comments sections of Silver Spring blogs and summarize them in one sentence, it would be “All local merchants that I do not like must vacate and make way for merchants I like.”
Isn’t that the point? We don’t like a merchant so we don’t do business there, and when they fail, they leave. Downtown Silver Spring has plenty of auto repair shops.
I used to be a customer at Five Star Automotive on Ripley Street. They’re in this hangar-looking building. I heard they’re going to build condos there too. With the way things are going in Silver Spring, Euro Motorcars will take over very soon.
Just noticed this morning that the little latino grocery on Cameron (across from LA Fitness) is closed and clearing out. That makes a large section available (combined with the long gone Mexican restaurant and bar immediately next store). Certainly not the most attractive street, as noted before on here, but will be interesting to see what comes next.
My point was that the auto repair shop is nasty looking because it is at a very prominent corner which is a gateway into downtown Silver Spring.
Auto repair shops are inherently not “attractive” so they should be located in areas that are not as visually prominent. It’s the same principle that urban planners use to put industrial sites away from residential and retail areas.
And before I get my head bit off, I didn’t mean that they need to be relocated way outside the CBD and everyone has to drive a long way to get to them.
I actually like a few of the auto repair shops above Georgia as you go under the rail tracks bridge. Hannigans always keeps their place nice looking, even from the outside. They’re quality people.
Lindemann: I don’t think people want local merchants to shut down or move out and make room for chains. Everyone just wants the best product(s) for the price. Merchants aren’t only selling their “wares” they’re selling the “ambiance”. If local merchants don’t want to be run out, then can… uh… IMPROVE their crappy locations… How many millions or dollar would it cost Bombay Gaylord or Langano or the crappy car repair places to buy new furniture (IKEA not Ethan Allen)? How much does it cost to clean the bathrooms every so often? Mayorga is privately owned and they appear to be doing okay…
I live directly across from both sites - your pic is a while out of date.
The 1200 Blair Mill property is currently digging down - I’m guessing they’re putting in foundations. They’re a while ahead of the 1200 East-West property - all they’ve done there is demolition of the old buildings and tree removal, but they haven’t begun digging out yet - still have the old concrete floors from the auto places, the wall between the two properties, etc.
It’s ridiculous what the prices are in Silver Spring even though they are dropping, I love the area and lived in the Blair’s (the community behind this new development) for 2 years. As most locals know the area has had rough times and picked itself up only to let it fall again. I am slightly worried about making the purchase here for Bethesda pricing, only too have the area potentially have a downturn and see the values fall off the charts.
The location is so convenient and my commute is wonderful because being inside of the beltway I commute against most traffic heading into DC. I know some people might want to argue my previous statement but it’s just something to think about, and a lot of people are not considering the history of this city’s crime/drug issues when purchasing in downtown Silver Spring.