Local officials will join developers Thursday as construction of the Crown property in Gaithersburg gets underway.

Situated next to the Washingtonian Center in  Montgomery County’s science corridor, Crown will include a community of homes, shopping and a high school, ringed by parks, trails and play areas. 

Downtown Crown, the featured shopping area, has already signed up Harris Teeter, LA Fitness and several restaurants, according to JBG Rosenfeld Retail.

SEE: LA Fitness, Planet Fitness Sign Leases North of the Beltway

Pulte Homes, KBHome and the Bozzuto Group will start building the first townhomes and apartments in coming months.  

The official start of Crown, a 180-acre community with a future CCT transit station and high school, will be marked with a ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 11, 2012 at Fields Road and Sam Eig Highway in Gaithersburg, MD.