Fox 5 on Monday confirmed plans to move its studio, newsroom and 200 employees in June 2021 into a prime location in downtown Bethesda. The television station will occupy about 57,500 square feet of a 290-foot office tower being built at 7272 Wisconsin Ave., the former site of the Apex building. Fox won’t be moving far. They have been at 5151 Wisconsin Ave in DC since 1966. WTTG and WDCA have signed a letter of intent to occupy the Carr Properties trophy tower that is going up on Wisconsin Avenue. Carr is constructing a mixed-use development that will accommodate nearly a million square feet of office and residential space.
David Petr, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s president, said Monday that the county and state are offering an incentive package to Fox 5 but aren’t ready to discuss them because details are being finalized. He said the announcement highlights the desirability of downtown Bethesda, which is also the site of Marriott International’s headquarters project. “I think this move is going to be one more catalyst to drive our business growth in downtown Bethesda,” he said. Petr said Fox considered multiple locations in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C. but was drawn to Bethesda because of its accessibility.