Montgomery Parks is one step closer to building an urban park in downtown Bethesda now that planning officials have approved its purchase of a Montgomery Avenue lot.

Designs for the nearly 2-acre Eastern Capital Crescent Urban Recreational Park are in the early conceptual stages, and planners are envisioning a space focused on active recreation that may include adult fitness equipment, a dog park, a skate park, pickleball and tennis courts and a playground.

“The idea is to create a park that is accessible by trail that would offer [recreation] opportunities for people,” Christie Ciabotti, acting chief of Montgomery Parks’ division of park planning & stewardship, told MoCo360 Wednesday. “We’re really excited about the possibilities there.”

On Thursday, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved Montgomery Parks’ purchase of the 6,400-square-foot property at 4328 Montgomery Ave. for approximately $2.56 million. Parks officials told the board that the department plans to partially fund the acquisition with state funds from a Program Open Space grant.

On the lot now is a house built in 1935 with office space and owned by 4328 Limited Liability Co., according to state tax records.

According to Ciabotti, the park construction timeline depends on the acquisition of six other neighboring parcels within the future park’s boundaries. The completion of the Purple Line light-rail line, which will run along train tracks to the south of the future park, will also impact the opening date, she said.

Before voting on the acquisition, board Vice Chair Mitra Pedoeem praised the plans for the proposed park. “I’m happy that this idea is actually [going] to happen. That’s wonderful,” she said.

Creating the park as an “active green gateway” to downtown Bethesda’s business and commercial district and along the Capital Crescent Trail has been the goal since the board approved the Bethesda Downtown Plan in 2017.

The plan’s design guidelines call for creating urban parks that “provide active exercise areas, playgrounds, flexible open space and seating areas.” Connections to roads, trails, transit and walkable high-density development areas are key aspects of urban park placement and design as well, planning documents state.

Montgomery Parks has already purchased a property next to the Montgomery Avenue lot and plans to pursue the acquisition of the neighboring six lots, according to Ciabotti.

Parks officials told the board the department expects to develop an interim park at the site after five years – due to state funding requirements – until the remaining properties have been purchased. Ciabotti said the opening of the Purple Line, which is expected in late 2027, would be an ideal goal for completion, but the departments are “just not quite there yet” on an official timeline.

“I’m happy that there are two contiguous [lots] so it allows you to do an interim park if you want to do that and you don’t have to wait until you get others,” board Chair Artie Harris said.

According to Ciabotti, the parks department has not received “too much pushback” from community members and nearby businesses on its acquisition plans.

“People are excited about the idea of parks in Bethesda, for the most part, and are looking forward to having more green space, more accessible recreation,” Ciabotti said. Buying the Montgomery Avenue lot “would allow us to put louder amenities like pickleball or a skate park that normally would be harder to get installed in a more residential area.”

A tenant is currently renting the basement of the house for use as an office, but the parks department plans to assume the basement tenant’s lease after buying the property and then lease the upper floors of the building to other office tenants, according to planning documents.

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