Less than a week after saying at a County Council meeting that he supports Brookfield building a tower above the Bethesda Metro Station, Clark Enterprises VP Bob Eisenberg today clarified that position.

Bob said in a statement that Clark supports the idea of a new building but not as Brookfield has proposed it, and he offered a compromise.

“We believe we can keep the existing open space and convert it to a highly visible, iconic green park while accommodating a new building and renovated bus bay, if the new building is located on top of the existing Streetsense building,” Bob said. “On the other hand, if the new building is positioned along Wisconsin Avenue as currently proposed, the resulting open space would be significantly reduced and hidden behind tall buildings, which we oppose.”

Clark, which owns the neighboring 16-story tower, has previously strongly opposed Brookfield's plan to build a 290-foot tower above the Metro station, citing the need for more open space. Brookfield's proposal does includes an inward-facing park, rendered above, which Clark maintains is insufficient for the community's needs.