Peterson Cos. is moving forward with its long-anticipated redevelopment vision for Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg with Schematic Development Plan (SDP) that details how several portions of the Washingtonian Center could be reshaped over the next decade. A new Traffic Impact Study (TIS) submitted with the plan provides the most detailed look yet at what’s being proposed, including the demolition of the former Kohl’s building and the construction of multiple new residential communities around the lake. Renderings and a map, courtesy of the City of Gaithersburg, available below.
According to the TIS, the full redevelopment program across four project sites would introduce approximately 490 multi-family residential units, 23 single-family attached homes, and 44,000 SF of retail anchored by a new grocery store. The redevelopment is planned in two phases, with Projects 2–4 targeted for completion by 2028, and Project 1 following in 2032.
Project 1: Former Kohl’s Redevelopment: The most transformative piece of the plan involves demolishing the 97,000 SF Kohl’s building along Washingtonian Boulevard. In its place, Peterson Cos. proposes a mixed-use building with:
- Up to 275 multi-family dwelling units
- Approximately 44,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, including a grocery store
- Five (5) single-family attached homes
For traffic modeling purposes, existing vehicle trips from the former Kohl’s were subtracted from the projected trip generation, since the redevelopment replaces a pre-existing use…