Marriott picks new HQ site near Bethesda Metro

WASHINGTON — Marriott International Inc.’s new corporate headquarters will be built one block north of the Bethesda Metro stop at 7500 Wisconsin Ave.

The $600 million campus will include a 22-story office tower and a Marriott-branded hotel.

Marriott announced plans about a year ago to relocate its longtime headquarters on Bethesda’s Fernwood Road. While Marriott said it would stay in the Washington region, it was not until Montgomery County and the state of Maryland nailed down an incentives package last fall that it decided to stay in the county.

Last October, Marriott said it had settled on downtown Bethesda for its new headquarters, though it did not identify an exact site.

“Montgomery County has been Marriott International’s home for more than 60 years, and we take great pride in the strong relationships we’ve developed and contributions we have made as a committed community partner,” Carolyn Handlon, executive vice president for finance and global treasurer for Marriott, said in a statement.

“We look forward to continuing that legacy as we create our new, 21st century home in downtown Bethesda.”

The headquarters and the 230-room flagship Marriott hotel will open in 2022.

The two buildings will be connected by a landscaped public plaza.

The campus will feature on-site childcare for employees, a fitness center and cafeteria. It will include an 800-space underground parking lot for the hotel and office building.

And under an agreement with Montgomery County, Marriott will lease the Woodmont Corner Garage for exclusive use during business hours. The garage will remain open for public use on evenings, weekends and holidays.

Marriott says it expects final project agreements within the next several months. Under terms of its letter of intent with developers, the hotel would be owner by The Bernstein Cos.

The corporate campus will be developed as part of a joint venture with Bernstein Companies and Boston Properties.

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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