Tower Companies Gearing Up for Redevelopment of The Blairs Community

By Joshua Ayers, Senior Editor

Watercolor rendering of The Blairs Skywalk by Design Collective Inc.

Silver Spring, Md.—The Tower Companies and its partners Jeffrey and Gary Abramson, sons of the company’s founder, Albert Abramson, presented new renderings of the first two proposed residential towers in the nearly $850 million, 27-acre ‘City Within a City’ redevelopment at The Blairs community in downtown Silver Spring, Md.

The two towers, designed by Baltimore-based Design Collective, will be just a small part of the first phase of the largest redevelopment effort in Montgomery County Downtown history. Details about the additional plans for Phase 1 will be released at a later time.

“We are turning the 20^th Century mixed-use community into the 21^st Century holistic development that embraces the people’s connectivity with the community, business, nature, and wellness and ultimately focuses on the people,” Sri Velamati, Tower Companies vice president of development tells MHN. “We have taken considerable effort to create a singular community that will set the tone for The Blairs, Silver Spring, the County and the Metro area.”

The new addition will add to the 1950s-era Blair Towers and will seek USGBC LEED Gold certification upon completion.

Watercolor rendering of The Blairs Phase One by Design Collective Inc.

“We hope to be LEED Gold and believe with onsite storm water management, alternative vehicle encouragement we will be well within our target,” Velamati says.

The green elements of the design include the use of bio-swales, planted green rooftops as well as alternative transportation options and conveniences such as charging stations and bike storage and maintenance facilities.

The project will be comprised of six distinct modules with articulated facades that help to “relax the architecture to integrate and uplift the community,” Velamati says.  In upcoming months, he says that Tower Companies will release more information about the offerings at the project including elements such as sky pools, a public dog run, the project’s engineered water management system and a jewel box wellness center.

Velamati says that Tower Companies has already started the site plan process and is currently in the in-take review process for the project. The site plan was filed in June and the demolition component is expected to begin in July.

“We held multiple meetings with the community and will continue to engage everyone,” Velamati says. “This is our opportunity to share our vision for the first time.”

New construction is expected to start in early 2015 with a completion targeted for 2017. When complete, the project will add an additional 504 rental units to the area market.

Video presentation of the history and future of The Blairs Community:

The Blairs Community from Brian Pascale on Vimeo.