Looks like AstraZeneca is here to stay in Montgomery County.
The global biopharmaceutical company announced in early February that it is investing $300 million in a new manufacturing facility in Rockville, expanding its footprint and leaving little doubt about its commitment to the county.
Expected to be operational by 2026, the facility at 9950 Medical Center Drive will bring jobs for more than 150 highly skilled employees, adding to the 4,500 at the company’s other county locations, including its research and development campus in Gaithersburg, according to the Maryland Department of Commerce.
The British company plans to use the Rockville facility to “launch its life-saving cell therapy platforms in the U.S. for critical cancer trials and future commercial supply,” the department said in a statement.
“This new $300 million investment will accelerate our ambition to make next-generation cell therapy a reality, ensuring that we are ready to scale and meet the demands of patients,” said Pam Cheng, AstraZeneca’s executive vice president of global operations and IT and its chief sustainability officer.
Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Bill Tompkins said county officials are “thrilled that AstraZeneca continues to grow and invest in new technologies here in Montgomery County, which will ultimately lead to greater economic viability for our region.”
Sky High
Change is coming to downtown Silver Spring’s skyline as plans for a 300-foot-tall residential tower above Ellsworth Place mall have taken another step forward.
In January, mall owner GBT Realty Corp. of Tennessee submitted a sketch plan to the Montgomery County Planning Department outlining its intentions to build 450 residential units atop the five-story shopping center.
The sketch plan, a drawing that details the maximum densities for residential and nonresidential development, is one of several plans required before a development project can be approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board.
Ellsworth Place, at Colesville Road and Fenton Street, anchors Silver Spring’s downtown shopping and dining district and is home to major retailers and entertainment venues such as Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, Foot Locker, Michaels and Dave & Buster’s. Commas, a 13,000-square-foot food hall, is expected to open this summer.
By the Numbers
When it comes to making sure local businesses comply with county rules for development and construction, the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Standards is in charge.
Here’s how the department performed in fiscal year 2023, which started July 1, 2022, and ended June 30, 2023:
- 66,171 inspections performed by residential and fire code compliance officials (5.2% decrease from the previous year)
- 86% of commercial establishments in compliance with the fire code (9.9% increase)
- 6,747 residential and commercial building construction permits receiving final approvals (37.9% decrease)
- 86% of commercial building construction plans receiving a complete first review within 22 business days (3.9% decrease)
Source: Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget. Some percentages have been rounded.
Word on the Street
Want to keep up with the Montgomery County business community? Check out Something to Talk About, a podcast produced by the Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. Former Washington Post columnist Bob Levey (pictured right) and business leader Kelly Leonard (left) co-host the audio and video podcast, which can be found at thinkmoco.com/podcast. Local leaders interviewed include Katie Hecklinger, CEO of BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown; Montgomery Community Media CEO Jasmine White; and Scott Copeland, then-owner of Bethesda Magazine and MoCo360.
This story appears in the May/June edition of Bethesda Magazine.