Montgomery Planning finds mixed-use retail space up nearly 50% since 2015 | The Locally Times
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The Countywide Retail Market Assessment released October 15, 2026 found mixed-use retail space grew nearly 50% from 2015 to 2025.
The Montgomery County Planning Department released its updated Countywide Retail Market Assessment on October 15, 2026, finding that the county's overall retail sector remains healthy and resilient even as market conditions vary place to place. Montgomery Planning's Research and Strategic Projects Division staff and project consultants Econsult Solutions, Inc. and The Riddle Company presented the assessment and a staff report to the Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. According to the assessment, retail space in mixed-use buildings increased nearly 50% in the county from 2015 to 2025, accounting for 24% of all new retail space in the past decade. The assessment states that future retail investment is expected to be more targeted and incremental, with greater emphasis on renovating and repositioning existing retail space and incorporating retail space into mixed-use residential developments. Given the mature state of the county, slower population growth, and changing consumer behavior, the assessment states that retail opportunities will be more targeted and focused on incremental redevelopment than on major new retail construction. The assessment also finds substantial differences among retail submarkets, which the department states underscores the need for place-based strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The supplied excerpt of the release ends mid-sentence in a Friendship Heights example, so the full submarket findings are not available in the material provided for this report.