Already set to feature a Harris Teeter and an LA Fitness, Downtown Crown will also include six restaurants as part of the shopping area's retail dining corridor, according to officials for the development.

JBG Rosenfeld Retail principal Krista Di Iaconi told Patch the group is "excited about the eclectic mix [of restuarants] we have signed on." JBGR is responsible for filling 260,000 square feet of retail space in Downtown Crown.

At Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony, Di Iaconi said the following restaurants are officially part of Downtown Crown:

• Coastal Flats: A Carolina-inspired seafood restaurant that is part of the Great American Restaurant Group
• Asia Nine: A Thai and sushi bar with a popular location near the spy museum in Washington, DC
• Chicago-based Roti Mediterranean Grill
• French bakery La Madeleine
• Lime Fresh Mexican Grill: A fast-casual eastery popular in the South
• La Tagliatella: A Europe-based restaurant that's part of the AmRest Holdings business group, the largest operator of independing restaurants in Central and Eastern Europe, serving high-quality Italian fare.

"We are excited to be attracting new and interesting options to Downtown Crown," Di Iaconi said in her remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony. "Our prime location adjacent to established employment centers and a popular shopping and entertainment hub makes Downtown Crown an obvious draw for retail and dining interests looking to expand in, or break into, the Montgomery County market. It's a combination that will keep Downtown Crown an active community venue both day and night."

The adjacent shopping and entertainment hub Di Iaconi refers to is the Washingtonian Center and Rio developments, located directly across from Crown along Fields Road.

Gaithersburg Economic Development Director Tom Lonergan told Patch he believes the two centers will "complement each other" and said there is a great opportunity to piggy-back off one another.

"The list of new restaurants was exciting and distinct," Lonergan said. "It presents another opportunity for people to enjoy dining in the city."

Di Iaconi said she expects three more restaurants to be added, accounting for approximately 25 percent of the retail space in Downtown Crown. The remaining space will be filled by a mix of fashion services, she said.

"They act as an anchor to the project," Di Iaconi told Patch. "We're really excited about it."

In addition to the dining and retail, Downtown Crown will have 538 apartments. The entire Crown development will feature 2,250 homes — including single family, townhouses, apartments and condominiums — spread out over four distinct neighborhoods.

The 182-acre site also includes a future transit stop for the Corridor City Transitway (CCT), acres of parks including a Gaithersburg city park with a historic farmhouse, walking and jogging trails, and a 32-acre site reserved for a potential Montgomery County Public Schools high school.

Construction on the Crown development officially started Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney A. Katz along with city, state and Crown development officials participated.

Downtown Crown retail is slated for a spring 2014 grand opening, although Harris Teeter plans to open during the first quarter of 2014.

Related Coverage:

• Photo of the Day: Heart Of Crown Development Brought To Life With Scale Model (Oct. 10, 2012)
• Crown Construction to Open Thursday With City, County Officials (Oct. 9, 2012)
• Mayor Katz: Crown High School Would Help Overcrowding (July 31, 2012)
• PHOTOS: Artist Images for Future Crown Development (July 26, 2012)
• Mayor, Council Tout Plans For Crown Development (July 25, 2012)
• Vision for Crown Farm Development Seen by City (July 24, 2012)
• Report: Crown Farm Site Sold for $28M (July 18, 2012)