What is the vision for Westbard Square?
Westbard Square is the redevelopment of the former Westwood Shopping Center in Bethesda, MD. The goal of the redevelopment is to transform an outdated retail shopping center into a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood with brand new retail, apartments, townhomes, thoughtfully designed park space with a children’s play area, and a central plaza surrounded by shops and restaurants. The Westbard Square neighborhood is being developed by partners Regency Centers (apartments and retail) and EYA (townhomes).
How large is the overall Westbard Square neighborhood?
The overall Westbard Square community is approximately 22 acres in size and will include 101 townhomes by EYA, up to 200 upscale apartments, approximately 115 senior living apartments, and up to 150,000 SqFt of retail space by Regency Centers.
What retailers will be featured at Westbard Square?
Westbard Square’s shops and restaurants will include the following, with more to be announced soon. Click here for all the latest retail information. Those that are not yet open are projected to open by the end of 2024.
- District DabbleLab
- Giant
- Kumon Math & Reading Center
- Montgomery County Liquor & Wine
- Oak Barrel & Vine
- Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria
- Starbucks
- Silver and Sons BBQ
- Stretch Zone
- Tatte Bakery & Café
- Voorthuis Opticians
- Westwood Barber Shop
- Westbard Dental
In addition, the below retailers are located in Kenwood Station, a short walk from Westbard Square.
- Whole Foods
- Hunan Kitchen
- Ledo Pizza
- Georgetown Bagelry
- Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream
When will the apartment building and ground floor retail at Westbard Square be completed?
No specific timeline has been set for the completion of the apartment building and lower-level retail, however, it is currently projected to be ready sometime in 2028.
What is the construction occurring across the street from the EYA Westbard Square sales office?
On the other side of Westbard Avenue, Kensington Senior Living is constructing a senior living facility that is projected to be open in Summer of 2025.
When will the green space in the community be completed?
The central plaza adjacent to the new Giant will start construction in Fall of 2024 and is anticipated to be ready in Spring 2025. The larger park at the west end of the community by the western entrance is projected to be constructed at the same time.
What are the available EYA townhome models and how many of each will be built?
Westbard Square will feature 3 market rate models to choose from as well as a Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) available through Montgomery County.
- 101 Townhomes
- 13 – Amber (MPDU affordable homes)
- 18 – Beryl
- 48 – Citrine (of which 28 are available with an elevator)
- 22 – Lapis (all have the option to include an elevator)
When is the community projected to start construction and homes be ready to move in?
Land development is underway. The townhomes are projected to start construction in Fall 2024 with first deliveries in Spring 2025. All the townhomes are projected to be completed by 2027.
What are the approximate sizes of the 3 EYA market rate townhome models?
|
Model Name
|
Approximate SqFt
|
|
Beryl
|
1,690
|
|
Citrine
|
2,425
|
|
Citrine w/ elevator
|
2,465
|
|
Lapis
|
3,035
|
What are the base prices of the 3 market-rate townhome models?
View pricing for all models
here.
How much does an optional elevator cost?
$65,000 to $70,000 depending on floorplan. This price includes a ground-floor powder room.
What is the cost of some of the other options many people select?
- Additional baths approximately $14,500
- Hardwood stairs approximately $2,950 per flight
- Bedroom-level extensions approximately $8,400
- Rear decks and patios $15,000 to $20,000
What are the approximate ceiling heights for the townhomes at Westbard Square?
- 8’4” ground floor
- 9’ main level
- 9’ bedroom level
- 9’ loft level
What amount of deposit is required to purchase a townhome at Westbard Square?
10% of the Base Price of the home is required at time of contract, which will be written in 2 amounts – an earnest money deposit of $10,000 made payable to EYA Marketing LLC, and then the remaining balance is an option deposit made payable to Westwood Associates LLC. For example: If the Base Price is $1,250,000 – Total Deposit due $125,000. This includes an Earnest Money Deposit of $10,000 and Options Deposit of $115,000. Funds can be paid via check, directly wired, or through Earnnest.
Are there any special incentives offered for the homes at Westbard Square?
If you use one of our preferred lenders (Wells Fargo, Truist, or Sandy Spring Bank) and our preferred title company (Capitol Title), we will split the transfer and recordation taxes on the home, and both the Seller and the lender will contribute ½ point towards your loan and reimburse for credit and appraisal fees.
How do I contact one of the Westbard Square Preferred Lenders?
- Wells Fargo: Josh Jablonski, NMLSR ID 484236, joshua.jablonski@wellsfargo.com, 703-282-2588
- Truist: Lenny Gordon, Lenny.Gordon@truist.com, 301-370-8881
- Sandy Spring Bank: Kari Sansom, ksansom@sandyspringbank.com, 301-767-6354
What is the warranty on a new townhome at Westbard Square?
The townhome is covered by what is called a 1/2/10 warranty. Up to year 1 after settlement, everything is covered, all mechanical/electrical/plumbing is covered up to year 2 after settlement, and then there is a structural warranty for up to 10 years after settlement. The warranty is backed by PWC. Restrictions apply and performance standards of what is warrantable and not warrantable is explained in the sample warranty documents you receive at time of contract.
What are the real estate taxes in Montgomery County?
The current real estate tax rate is 1.03% in Montgomery County. Tax rates are adjusted annually, so please check with the County at time of purchase.
Which streets are public and which streets are private in Westbard Square?
All of the streets and alleys in Westbard Square are private.
Can I tour an EYA townhome similar to the new townhomes at Westbard Square?
Yes, model homes are available to tour at EYA’s Graham Park and Tysons Ridge communities in Falls Church, VA.
- The Beryl floorplan at Westbard Square is similar to the Cessna model at Graham Park.
- The Citrine floorplan at Westbard Square is similar to the Douglas model at Graham Park.
- The Citrine with elevator floorplan at Westbard Square is similar to the Carmel model at Tysons Ridge.
What are some of the included features in the new townhomes at Westbard Square?
- Quartz countertops in kitchen and all baths
- 12” x 24” floor tile in all bathrooms with 3” x 6” subway tile on wall
- Wide-plank laminate hardwood flooring on the main living level and one flight of hardwood stairs with painted risers
- Bosch stainless steel appliances (upgrade to deluxe kitchen with cabinet panels)
- Environmentally-friendly, all-electric home design with electric range/cooktop (induction option)
- 9’ ceiling heights on the main level, bedroom level, and loft level
- Energy-saving LED recessed lighting throughout
Can I have a natural gas grill plumbed on my rear deck or rooftop terrace?
Westbard Square is an all-electric community, so no natural gas lines are available. You may have a propane grill on the rear deck, rear yard or rooftop terrace. No charcoal grills are permitted.
What type of heating and cooling is in the townhomes at Westbard Square?
The all-electric homes feature an electric furnace on the lower two levels and a 2nd zone electric heat pump for the top two levels. The homes also feature energy-efficient, on-demand electric water heaters.
What is the annual charge for deferred water and sewer assessments and for how many years will the assessments be charged?
Annual fees are $1,540 per year and they are paid yearly for thirty (30) years – this is independent of your regular water and sewer usage that will be based on your consumption.
How does water/sewage submetering work based on your personal consumption?
The water/sewage at Westbard Square is on a private submetering system managed by the homeowner’s association (HOA). However, invoicing will be done through a third-party vendor. Each homeowner will have their water meter read remotely via cellular service and invoiced directly by the vendor. The homeowner will pay the third-party vendor for their water and sewer service based on the reading. The meter is on the homeowner’s property and will be the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain.
How does the HOA work?
- All EYA townhomes are part of an HOA.
- Assessments
- All EYA townhomes pay 4 months assessment as Initial Capital Contribution.
- The Market Rate townhome fee is $240 per month.
- Snow Removal
- The HOA is responsible for snow removal on all sidewalks, alleys, leadwalks, driveways, and pedestrian hardscape areas whether in the ROW or on HOA common area parcels.
- Parking
- All townhomes have 2 garage parking spaces and all owners are required to park in them.
- There are 8 Common Area Street Parking Spaces for visitors in the Phase 1 portion of the community and 4 Common Area Street Parking Spaces for visitors in the Phase 2 portion of the community. There are 20 additional Off-Site Townhouse Visitor Spaces that are non-exclusive spaces in the retail/multifamily garages that visitors may use with appropriate permits. Owners are not allowed to use these spaces.
- The Association is authorized to establish supplemental rules concerning parking within any portion of the Association or adjoining property including, without limitation, within the On-Site Townhouse Visitor Spaces and within the Off-Site Townhouse Visitor Spaces, including providing for reserved spaces, limiting the number of vehicles per Lot permitted to park within the On-Site Townhouse Visitor Spaces and within the Off-Site Townhouse Visitor Spaces, the suspension of parking for violation of any provision of the Governing Documents, and providing for the involuntary removal of any vehicle violating any provision of the Governing Documents.
- It is anticipated that the initial Board of Directors will adopt a parking policy which, among other things, will provide a methodology for allocating the use of the On-Site Townhouse Visitor Spaces and the Off-Site Townhouse Visitor Spaces.
- Landscape Maintenance
- The HOA is responsible for maintenance, mowing and watering of all common areas – owner responsible for water foundation plantings.
- Rear yards will be enclosed on the Lapis floorplan with a 6’ high privacy fence with gate at rear, and maintaining the grounds within the rear yard will be the responsibility of the owner.
- Hardscape Maintenance
- The HOA is responsible for maintenance of all common areas, private alleys, and sidewalks to the extent they are on HOA common area parcels (excluding lead walks, stoops, driveways, curb along the driveways, and sidewalks in the Public ROW).
- Stormwater Management (SWM)
- The HOA is responsible for maintenance of all SWM facilities, whether in ROW or private land.
- Amenity Areas
- The HOA is responsible for all maintenance, managing, and administering of amenity spaces including the park and associated amenities.
What are the public schools that Westbard Square will feed and where are they located?
- Wood Acres Elementary – 5800 Cromwell Drive, Bethesda, MD 20816 – from Westbard Avenue, take left on Ridgefield Avenue then left on Cromwell Drive.
- Thomas W. Pyle Middle School – 6311 Wilson Lane, Bethesda, MD 20817 – from Westbard Avenue, take left on River Road, and then right on Wilson Lane.
- Walt Whitman High School – 7100 Whittier Blvd, Bethesda, MD 20817 – from Westbard Avenue, take left on River Road, and then right on Whittier Blvd.
Where is the nearest public transportation?
- Bus stops are located onsite along Westbard Avenue
- Bethesda Metro station (Red Line and future Purple Line) – Less than 2 miles
- Friendship Heights Metro station (Red Line) – Approx 1.5 miles or via Bus Route 23
Last updated 6/18/24
