Government Neighborhoods  

Gaithersburg Gets $1 Million for Improvements as Part of Lakeforest Mall Site Conversion Plan

Thanks to a $1 million federal Community Project Funding grant, Russell Avenue by the Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg will be reworked to be safer and more pedestrian friendly.

Monday, U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-6) presented a giant check toward the roadwork. Construction is expected to being in June of 2025.

“This project is just going to knock the socks off of Montgomery County,” Trone said.

About 1.4 miles of Russell Avenue from Montgomery Village Avenue to East Diamond Avenue will be reconstructed and will carry a reduced speed limit. The improved roadway is designed to connect Old Town Gaithersburg to the redevelopment area that once was home to a vibrant mall.

The road improvements are part of the Gaithersburg’s plans to convert the former enclosed shopping center into an area that includes 1,600 housing units, 750,000 square feet of employment uses, 250,000 square feet of large format retail and 220,000 square feet of commercial uses.

“What you are seeing right here, happening right now, is essentially, it is a renaissance for this part of the city,” said Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman.

April Delaney, the Democratic candidate for Trone’s seat in Congress, praised the project. “To see the different stakeholders come together, you know, business owners, developers, government, public-private partners together, to have a vision of what you can be is really important.”

Delaney added, “Gaithersburg is really an unbelievable community. It is the most diverse community in the country on a percentage basis with population and to be able to have green spaces and the ability to come together for a festival and music and shopping, it’s really important.”

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