Marriott Breaks Ground on New Downtown Bethesda HQ
Marriott International broke ground Thursday for its new $600 million downtown Bethesda headquarters, a project for a company that started more than 90 years ago as a root beer stand.
“My parents would never have believed that the root beer stand could turn into something like this,” said J.W. Marriott Jr., executive chairman and chairman of the board of the company, and the son of the founders.
The event drew about 200 government and business leaders.
We asked a handful why the Marriott project was important to Montgomery County:
The project — between Wisconsin and Woodmont avenues — has 785,000 square feet of office space to support 3,500 employees, with an abundance of natural light, according to company information.
The building can be as high as 300 feet, according to Montgomery County planners.
Employees will have a child care center, a fitness center and cafeteria.
The site also includes a 244-room Marriott Hotel, with more than 8,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space, rooftop bar and a neighborhood restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with outdoor dining on a pedestrian plaza.
The site was selected to be nearer to public transportation — Metro is only two blocks away — and to have access to restaurants and shops.
The company’s current headquarters is on Fernwood Road, about 4 miles away.
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