Steve Burns
WMAL.com

BETHESDA, Md. – (WMAL) Following a year and a half of speculation and competition throughout the D.C. area, Marriott announced it will keep its headquarters in Montgomery County, moving a few miles south from North Bethesda into downtown Bethesda over the next decade.

‘We could not afford to lose a corporate citizen involvement as strong as Marriott in Montgomery County,” County Executive Ike Legget told WMAL. They are the county’s largest private employer and provide an annual tax benefit of $90 million, he said.

Marriott’s lease at its current headquarters in North Bethesda will expire in 2022. In the interim, Leggett said, the company will choose a site in downtown Bethesda next year to build its new $600 million headquarters along with a new hotel.

The county and state put together an incentives package worth about $44 million, both in taxes and contributions from the county’s Economic Development Fund.

“That’s competitive when you look at these kind of retention and expansion packages that you see around the country and around the world,” Legget said.

Downtown Bethesda, Legget said, epitomizes what corporations are looking for these days: a departure from the isolated office park, more along the lines of a dense, walkable, transit-oriented urban area. Marriott had indicated it wanted to make such a move to attract more young talent.

“A good part of the workforce today wants to be in what are called smart-growth areas,” Legget said. “Sort of livable communities, places where you’re near Metro and have restaurants and nightlife.”

Marriott remains the world’s largest hotel chain following its merge with Starwood Hotels last month.

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(Photo: Marriott)