Bethesda-based developer EYA LLC publicly contradicted its own senior vice president on Wednesday, Aug. 19, calling his statements to Rockville city staff about the Wootton High School relocation's impact on a 60-home project "incorrect." But an internal email from that same executive, obtained by community members the same day, told a different story.

In the email to Rockville City staff, EYA Senior Vice President of Development Jason Sereno wrote that the company was "evaluating an exit strategy for Rockshire" and that "Wootton was a primary driver of interest in the community." He cited zero home sales this year, several cancellations from last year's limited sales and "broader uncertainty created by DOGE-related activities" as factors hurting buyer demand.

Hours later, EYA's corporate office issued a statement to Bethesda Today calling Sereno's communications incorrect and saying the Wootton relocation "did not factor into EYA's decision to select a new homebuilder partner."

The company said it was handing off the residential portion of the Rockshire Village project because it wanted to focus on its "core business of townhome and multifamily development." The 7.3-acre site at 2100 Wootton Parkway, directly across from the existing Wootton campus, includes 31 single-family detached homes and 29 townhomes.

EYA did not explain why Sereno communicated information to city officials that the company now calls inaccurate.

Van Grack stands by his account

Rockville Councilmember Adam Van Grack, who first raised the alarm about the project on Monday, Aug. 17, said in a Wednesday, Aug. 19, interview with Bethesda Today that his public statements "accurately reflected the information EYA provided directly to the City."

As we reported Tuesday, Aug. 18, Van Grack said EYA told the city manager on Saturday, Aug. 15, that it was pausing the project because of a "significant drop off" in interest following the school board's March 26 vote to move Wootton's student body to the new Crown campus in Gaithersburg for the 2027-2028 school year.

"More broadly, this discussion is just another reminder that the Wootton decision does not exist in a vacuum; that it has real consequences for housing, economic development, and Rockville's long-term growth," Van Grack told Bethesda Today on Wednesday.

What happens next

EYA said it is negotiating with a new homebuilder to complete the residential portion of the project but has not identified the builder, citing a confidentiality agreement. EYA will continue developing the site's retail space, neighborhood park and other amenities. MoCo Show reported that Dunkin' was previously announced as a retail tenant.

Montgomery County Public Schools did not respond to requests for comment on Monday or Wednesday regarding the situation, according to Bethesda Today.

The Rockshire Village Center site sat essentially abandoned after its Giant grocery store closed in 2012, drawing vandalism and fires that forced the city to station police in the area. Rockville approved EYA's redevelopment plans in May 2024, and the company announced its purchase of the property in July 2025.