Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Maryland State Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr, and County Councilmembers, including Marilyn Balcombe, Sidney Katz, Dawn Luedtke, and Laurie-Anne Sayles joined Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Director Chris Conklin, WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments Principal Kevin Rogers, and other community leaders for a ceremony to mark the first phase of a partnership between the County and WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments to relocate and redevelop the Lakeforest Transit Center at the Lakeforest Mall site in Gaithersburg.

The new transit center is part of a plan to transform the closed Lakeforest Mall into a mixed-use development that will support residential housing, entertainment, shopping, and public gathering spaces. 

Lakeforest Mall opened in 1978. It was the largest mall in the County for some time and was a well-known community gathering spot for shopping and dining for 45 years.

Under the first phase of the agreement, WRS will prepare nearly two acres of land for construction, including filling in a drainage pond and grading the site, ensuring it is build-ready. 

“Lakeforest Mall was a place where people came together for decades, and this redevelopment gives us a chance to reimagine this site,” said County Executive Elrich. “Building this transit center is critical to this redevelopment process and our forthcoming BRT system. Thousands of people depend on transit in this part of the County, and this partnership ensures they will have safe, convenient access as the area grows. Transportation, housing, and economic development are connected, and this project reflects that. I appreciate WRS and all our partners for their commitment to building something here that truly supports the people who live and work in Gaithersburg. I want to thank Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr and the entire state delegation and Mayor Jud Ashman and the City of Gaithersburg for their support in securing funding for this vital project.” 

The new transit center will serve the eight Ride On bus routes that currently use the existing Lakeforest Transit Center, as well as a planned MD 355 Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor.  

“The partnership with WRS will allow us to provide safe, accessible transportation to the revitalized Lakeforest community,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “The new transit center will support the nearly 2,000 riders per day who rely on the current Lakeforest Transit Center, as well as create capacity to accommodate the planned Flash Bus Rapid Transit corridor along MD 355 and any future developments. We are building this transit center with scalability in mind as more residents seek transportation options that reduce reliance on cars.” 

The first phase of the transit center redevelopment is expected to take a year. Once complete, MCDOT will purchase the land from WRS and begin construction on the new center. 

“We will be redeveloping about 100 acres where the current Lakeforest Mall now sits,” said Kevin Rogers, principal, WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments. “This project will bring new life to this area, and we know how important access is to new development. We welcome this partnership with Montgomery County to build a new transit center to help support the success of this redevelopment.” 

For information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on X, Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook, and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.       

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