Loehmann’s Plaza is a conventional shopping center located outside of Washington, DC along the heavily trafficked Rockville Pike corridor.  Proximity to the Metro’s Red Line, high land values, and demand for housing and commercial uses have put pressure on new development to become more dense and walkable.  In 2015, MWA prepared a plan for the site, including a mix of uses and housing types.  

The plan incrementally replaces the existing shopping center, allowing the owner to keep tenants in place as long as possible.  The eastern half of the property consists of townhouses on multiple greens, fronted by a tree-lined street leading to the dense mixed-use center.  As the plan transitions to the most dense portion of the neighborhood, the vehicular street becomes a pedestrian passage, winding through a series of intimate townhouse courts, and finally arriving at the grand plaza and large green in the commercial center of the community.  The focal point of the central plaza and green is a tower, that also catches views from the adjacent collector road, enticing visitors to enter the plaza and enjoy what makes it special.