Chevy Chase Center

  • Client
    Chevy Chase Land Company; Stonebridge
  • Location
    Chevy Chase, MD
  • Size
    412,000-SF; 250,000-SF Garage
view of outside of mall
Awards
  • NAIOP MD/DC Award of Excellence Mid-Atlantic Construction Best of 2007

Project Brief

Today, Chevy Chase Center is a staple of the Friendship Heights neighborhood, and a focal point of the community. Located just outside the District line, this Wisconsin Avenue property is a shining shopping structure with a modern look and functional layout. But to us, it’s much more than a beautiful building; it’s a milestone.

While this was not our first large-scale retail project, it was our first expansion into large-scale mixed-use. Chevy Chase Center marked a major turning point for our DAVIS team. Having traditionally focused on sector-specific construction, this development was our first to include office space, underground parking, high-end retail, restaurants, and a neighborhood park — all in one site. And while several of our projects have since surpassed Chevy Chase Center in terms of size and scope, we credit this one with propelling us forward as the mixed-use leader we are today.

view from across the street of building
view of sculptures
outside view of center
outside view of center
outside view of building

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I continue to be exceptionally impressed with every aspect of the DAVIS team. The safety measures, such as pedestrian signage and fencing, were always crystal clear and easy to navigate. And amazingly, there was never a time when I was held up by any trucks coming and going.

Chevy Chase Resident

We think. We plan. We communicate. The difference that DAVIS offers is that we do this to the highest standards. Ours.

Jim Davis, President + CEO, DAVIS

The Complexity of Density

As a local contractor, there is nothing more important than working collaboratively with the community around us, and above all else, safety is our number one priority. With this project, we were working in an extremely dense neighborhood, surrounded by a busy Metro station, a bustling bus depot, and heavy pedestrian and street traffic. Our challenge? We needed to excavate a below-grade garage and build the development right in the middle of it all. To minimize impact and prevent disturbances, our team coordinated extensively with surrounding residents, businesses and public transportation officials.

This construction site was not just congested above the ground; below ground, the soil itself was filled with thick, mountainous rock. This made digging a football field-sized hole extremely difficult, but our team's extensive preconstruction and site analysis enabled us to develop and execute a rigorous phasing, mobilization, and sitework plan, working with the best subcontractors. Our team's expertise meant no impact to the schedule or budget, despite these unforeseen conditions.

Congestion Meets Creativity

With the high-traffic location of the site calling for extreme caution during construction, we knew that traffic flow would play an even greater role in Chevy Chase Center's success once it was open to the public. So we worked closely with the developer and its consultant team, continuously asking ourselves: how should traffic flow? In developing our plan, we looked at every possible angle, recognizing that a shopping center of this magnitude required a wide variety of access points to support a wide variety of visitors.

Because of our strategic thinking, Chevy Chase Center is one of the highest functioning and most easily accessible shopping destinations in the region. Every inch of the experience was built to meet end-user needs, and we are proud of the Center’s success.

Photos by Joseph Romeo Photography