Performance Venue Started at Suburban D.C. Mixed-Use Project

By Dees Stribling, Contributing Editor

Montgomery County, Md.—Federal Realty Investment Trust and Strathmore have formed a partnership to create a new performance venue at Pike & Rose, a 24-acre, mixed-use development in the White Flint Development District in Montgomery County, Md.  The space is going to be an unusual amenity for a mixed-used development featuring more than 1,500 residential units: namely, a 250-seat theater for musical acts.

Pike & Rose is the first major project to break ground in the White Flint District since the approval of the White Flint Sector Plan. The development is a component in the area’s revitalization efforts, and at full build out it will encompass—besides the aforementioned residential and entertainment components—450,000 square feet of retail, 1.1 million square feet of office space and a 300-room boutique hotel, all a few blocks from the White Flint Metro Station.

According to the developer, Federal Realty, Pike & Rose will incorporate features that the company has successfully used at its other mixed-use properties, such as Santana Row in San Jose, Calif., and Bethesda Row in Bethesda, Md. Phase One of the project will deliver in 2014 and include two residential buildings, an 80,000 square foot office building and 150,000 square feet of retail.

The music venue will encompass 2,800 square feet of indoor space, plus a 1,100 square foot pre-function space, an outdoor balcony, and a green room. The venue’s glass-enclosed design will make it useful for both ticketed performances as well as an event space for weddings, celebrations or corporate events.

As a music venue and event space, the facility will be a central component of the arts amenities at Pike & Rose, whose plans also call for an outdoor performance area located in Rose Park that will feature culturally inspired programming throughout the project. Strathmore joins iPic Theater as a second major entertainment anchor to the project in Phase One.

Strathmore will curate concert programming for the music venue, booking performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and it will also manage event rentals for the space. The programming will be diverse, with jazz, rock, folk and contemporary performances, as well as a variety of well-established touring acts.