Amazon has committed $24 million to fund 122 new affordable homes in North Bethesda, as part of Strathmore Square. Strathmore Square, by Fivesquares Development and Aimco, is at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station.
The community will include 2,000 units stretching across eight acres while also incorporating a central open space filled with performances, gardens, classrooms, and more. Andy Altman, principal and co-founder of Fivesquares Development said that the project makes use of one of the region’s scarcest resources — land near Metro stations.
The project is in County Council Member Kate Stewart’s (D-Dist. 4) district. Stewart wrote in an email that while the model used for this affordable housing project is a good one, county officials must consider many options — including The Housing Production Fund, a revolving loan fund that can be used in many ways.
In 2017, the county Planning Board and the County Council approved a minor master plan to allow the Strathmore Square project. A sketch plan was approved in 2018 and a preliminary plan was approved in 2019, according to a 2021 Bethesda Beat.
Developers will start the construction of two new high-rise buildings with 574 units soon, thanks to Amazon funding. Of the 574 units, 122 will be for those making 50 to 70 percent of the area median income, which is $172,873 for a household of four.
