A Pilates and yoga studio with roots in Dupont Circle has signed a lease for 4844 Cordell Avenue, the Woodmont Triangle storefront that housed Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle for more than three decades before the Irish pub closed in 2020.
Toolbox was founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Iva Gotzev, according to local news blogger Robert Dyer, who first reported the lease on Monday. The studio operates its flagship location at 1627 Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., where it doubles as an upscale event space after hours, hosting corporate gatherings and weddings in a setting that blends natural surfaces with art displays.
No opening date has been set.
If Toolbox follows the same hybrid model at its new address, it would become the second dedicated event venue to open in downtown Bethesda in as many years, Dyer reported. The Cordell, at 4865 Cordell Avenue, opened first. A third proposed venue, Bonvenue at 7615 Wisconsin Avenue, remains in limbo.
The space has sat empty since Flanagan's closed after 35 years. Owners Stephen and Jenny Nugent said at the time that the restaurant could not survive the pandemic's toll, citing Montgomery County's ban on live music and the Bethesda Streetery street closures as contributing factors, according to Bethesda Magazine's reporting in September 2020.
Toolbox's D.C. studio can be found online at thetoolboxdc.com. The Bethesda Beacon was unable to reach Gotzev or the Bethesda Urban Partnership for comment on the timeline or plans for the new space.
Upcoming community events in downtown Bethesda
- Bethesda Outdoor Movies — free screenings through Friday, Aug. 7, at 4650 Willow Lane
- Yappy Hour — Wednesday, Aug. 12 through Thursday, Oct. 8, The Metropolitan Plaza
- Summer Concert Series — Friday, Aug. 28 through Friday, Sept. 18, corner of Norfolk and St. Elmo avenues, Woodmont Triangle
- The Trawick Prize — art exhibition, Thursday, Sept. 3 through Sept. 27, Gallery B
For details, visit bethesda.org.
