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Phased Approvals Shape Project Delivery

The project has received schematic development plan approval, which establishes uses, density and overall layout but requires a series of final site plan approvals before construction permits can be issued, said Jasmine Forbes, a planner with the City of Gaithersburg.

“Because of the project’s size, those approvals are being submitted in phases tied to individual development blocks and infrastructure components,” she said.

Two of those final site plans are now under review, including an infrastructure submission covering stormwater systems and pond reshaping, as well as a separate plan for the project’s primary internal roadway network, according to the Gaithersburg planning department.

Core infrastructure and roadway work are expected to precede vertical development across individual blocks, according to Forbes.

Approved schematic development plan materials allow for up to about 1,600 housing units, roughly 470,000 sq ft of retail and as much as 750,000 sq ft of employment space, including life science and research uses, across the 102-acre site.

The mall, which opened in 1978 as a regional retail hub, closed in 2023 after years of declining tenancy, leaving a roughly 1-million-sq-ft structure and surface parking slated for redevelopment.

County Review Flags Design Conflicts

Montgomery County Dept. of Transportation officials said key elements must be addressed before the city can act on the infrastructure submission.

In written comments to the city, MCDOT officials said Gaithersburg “should not approve the site plan” until outstanding design issues are resolved, including coordination with a planned transit facility and roadway geometry needed to support bus operations.

The comments raise operational concerns such as whether internal streets can accommodate 40-ft buses, turning movements at key intersections and lane widths that may need to be increased to meet transit standards.

The transit center is being advanced separately by Montgomery County, with the developer expected to dedicate land for the facility. County officials said the design remains in early stages and will proceed on its own review track, though its footprint and access requirements are already influencing adjacent drainage and roadway layouts.

Stormwater Constraints Shape Design and Next Steps

The infrastructure effort is anchored by relocating the 84-in. storm drain, a system large enough to influence building placement and development block configuration.

In response to city comments, the applicant, Lakeforest Development LLC, said in a written response that future buildings in at least one portion of the site would need to maintain a 25-ft setback from the pipe alignment.

Review comments also flagged constructibility concerns—including deep manhole structures, large-diameter pipe connections and drainage system geometry—in addition to the need for custom structures where standard state details do not accommodate the proposed pipe size.

The project is being led by WRS Inc., with Rodgers Consulting serving as civil engineer on current infrastructure and roadway plans. Gensler is attached as architect on the broader redevelopment, according to the approved schematics and related application materials.

A call placed to WRS Inc. was not returned before press time.

Forbes said the infrastructure plans remain under review and no permits have been issued for the work. County officials said early transit center work is expected to include site preparation, including grading and filling of an existing drainage pond to create a build-ready pad for future construction.