Thursday, December 04, 2014

Urban Turf: REI Confirmed for Uline Arena

Screen Shot 2014-12-04 at 8.21.22 AM
Rendering from Douglas Development site

The rumor that REI would come to the Uline Arena is not exactly a new one, but it had never been an on the record done deal...until now. Urban Turf reports that a Douglas Development representative confirmed that the sporting good store will occupy the entire first floor of the Uline Arena. Most of you likely know the Uline Arena as that funny shaped building easily visible from the New York Ave Metro station, as well as the first site of the Beatle's first US concert. Did you know it was also used as a trash transfer station (among its many other incarnations) and was actually facing demolition at one point? Wikipedia has a decent history of the Uline, but there's a ton of other fun stuff online.




Here's a recent YouTube video showing the interior of the Uline

You might also enjoy Richard Layman's post written when the Uline was officially designated an historic landmark. Also, here's that staff report Richard likes so much.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

cool. any other rumors on what retail might go in the other spaces of the buildings, or is REI it?

Annoyingmous said...

I kept hoping that it would become a performance venue again; something about bands being able to perform in a venue where the Beatles did seems cool to me. But I'll be glad it's something other than a decaying dump. I like REI.

poo des poo said...

wow. who woulda thunk?!?! this is just... mind blowing. out little baby neighborhood is really growing up fast!

pat said...

Would it be something if REI were to make that front wall a climbing wall?