The Montgomery County Council recently approved the construction

The Montgomery County Council recently approved the construction of a 65-foot-tall building with rental apartments over retail shops in Bethesda Row, a redevelopment in downtown Bethesda, Maryland. The mixed-use building will replace a one-story Giant supermarket. Developer Federal Realty Investment Trust’s original plan called for a height of 75 feet, and drew protests from neighborhood groups (see July/August 2002 issue). Federal Realty considers the 65-foot height the shortest that would be economically viable. The council members who voted against the proposal said flaws in the planning process necessitated starting the approval process from scratch, while those in favor touted Bethesda Row as a prime example of successful smart growth.