Paint Nail Bar is closing its downtown Bethesda location at 8001 Woodmont Ave., with the 1,931-square-foot ground-floor space listed for lease.

A LoopNet listing shows the retail unit available for move-in on Nov. 1, pointing to an end-of-October departure for the nail salon. Robert Dyer's Bethesda blog flagged the listing on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The LoopNet posting itself dates to May 10.

The brand's own website no longer lists a Bethesda location. Paint Nail Bar, founded by Mark and Michele Schlossberg, still operates salons in seven other states, including Florida, California and Texas.

The salon opened at 8001 Woodmont in August 2023, roughly two years after the 17-story residential tower was completed. It joined anchor tenant Trader Joe's, Orangetheory and Pure Green on the building's ground floor. The tower, designed by FXCollaborative and LEED Gold certified, holds more than 320 apartments.

No reason for the closure has been made public. Neither Paint Nail Bar nor the building's management has issued a statement. The listing broker has not been identified in public records.

The vacancy reopens a question that has lingered since the tower opened in 2021: what will activate the pedestrian promenade that cuts between Woodmont and Wisconsin avenues? The walkway was designed with outdoor dining in mind, according to Dyer's blog, but the current tenant mix does not include a restaurant.

The LoopNet listing describes the space as fully built out, with a negotiable lease term and rent available upon request. It highlights the building's location in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle district and its proximity to the Bethesda Metro station and the future Purple Line connection.

Dyer suggested the vacancy could offer a second chance for a fast-casual or takeout-oriented restaurant at the site, given the promenade's original concept and the foot traffic Trader Joe's generates next door. No prospective tenant has been announced.