Here's something circulated by 6C ANC Commissioner Alan Kimber on some local email lists:
Dear neighbors,
Dear neighbors,
As many of you may know, Harris Teeter backed out of their non-binding commitment to locate a store at the corner of 3rd & H Street NE, in the Steuart Development residential & retail project that was approved by the ANC last year.
The developer has been in talks with several other specialty grocery chains, with the two most promising being Trader Joe's and Yes! Organic Market. I think either would be an excellent addition to the neighborhood, and fill a much needed void. Both are smaller stores, and the developer is looking at splitting the space that Harris Teeter would have occupied, in order to lease part to one of these stores, and to secure a pharmacy tenant for the remainder of the former HT space.
Now that there are a couple of promising possiblilities, the time has come where community support / pressure will be of most help in getting a store to commit to the space. If you are interested in helping bring a quality grocery store to our immediate area, please contact the stores and let them know how you feel about them locating a store at 3rd & H Street NE. Here is the contact information for each store:
Trader Joe's
Yes! Organic Market
Online: http://www.livingnaturally.com
The more unique messages they receive, the better, so please tell them your reasons for why they should come to our neighborhood. A few things to emphasize, if you like:
--locating specifically at 3rd & H Street NE
--why you think this is an ideal location
--neighborhood really wants them
--why you would shop there
--ongoing revival of H Street
--many new high-end condos delivering now & by the time they open
(over 500 nearing completion, over 600 already have zoning approval, over 400 more with pending applications)
30 comments:
Has anyone thought about trying to lure a Wegman's to H Street? They've entered the suburban markets but have no stores in the District. They could do for H Street what Whole Foods did for Logan Circle.
hey, elise, i think alan is ANC 6C, not 5C....
Indeed he is. I always do that.
done.
Wegmans would be amazing. Really good produce and such, but not as expensive as Whole Foods. Having them relocate to H St would be terrific.
I just sent a message to TJs... they are just the right size for that space, and they are without a doubt my favorite store. I will never shop anywhere else for groceries if there's a Trader Joe's 4 blocks from my house!
It couldn't hurt to also contact Whole Foods and Wegman's also, as their names have floated around. It is still possible that a larger store may locate there. Here is their contact information:
Whole Foods:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/realestate/index.html
Wegmans:
http://www.wegmans.com/guest/index.asp
Thanks, Elise, for helping spread the word.
Best,
Alan Kimber
ANC Commissioner, 6C05
i think we should focus the collective efforts on TJs. There are Yes markets on Penn and in Brookland while the nearest TJs is a hike.
I agree. All the others would be nice, but TJ's would be the best by far.
Wasn't there some plans for a food co-op?
There's a really great one in carborro/chapel hill NC that is worth checking out as a reference. It has a great selection, cafe & is a real community gathering place.
http://www.weaverstreetmarket.coop/index.html
I am am terribly disappointed by this new development. The prospect of having HT in that space was super exciting as I just bought my first home 2 blocks from that area. Do we know specifically why they backed out so we can avoid a similar problem for the next potential tenant? Then aagin, considering the number of years it has taken for HT to move into it's new location in SE after initial talks, this may be a blessing in disguise.
HT backed out because they are going to open a store in NOMA in a new building at 1st and M Streets NE -- really not too far off. FWIW, Whole Foods is still scoping out NOMA too (Jemal is trying to court them to the Uline Areana site). As for Wegman's, don't hold your breath. They need more than 150,000 sf of space for a store AND they don't do urban (at least not yet) The DC gov't is trying to convinve them to open somewhere in town with a new urban concept store BUT right now the good folks at Wegman's are sticking to their blah suburban model (i.e., a site that needs 15+ acres). One thing to keep in mind neighbors is that Ward 6 will soon have more grocery stores than we need (one/two in NOMA, two in near SE -- by the ballpark, one/two in SW, and god knows how many smaller TJ's/Yes style stores. We need to start to think outside the box and bring in some other interesting (and essential retail). Just my two cents...
HT backed out because they will be opening a new location off of North Capitol by the new metro station and H St would have been too close.
Another smaller footprint option might be MOMS (www.myorganicmarket.com). They currently have a store in Del Ray and Rockville.
But TJ would really complement the food co-op that's starting up on H! I think they would be hugely popular here!
Hey Anon 10:29 -- Care to elaborate on "food co-op that's starting up on H"?
I agree that TJs is the best option, though they lack the selection of fresh meat and produce that whole foods has. I went online and filled out the form, for what it's worth. Yes! is overpriced and too small.
Just left a suggestion for TJ's which would be by far the most exciting option in my eyes. TJ's is less obnoxiously upper-class, too, since it has extremely good prices on its products. (I predict that many of TJ's methods, btw, such as the elimination of loss-leaders, will become the industry norm in the years ahead.)
I'm pretty sure TJ's is actively looking at other DC locations, too, since its Foggy Bottom opening last year has been such a success.
Very true. That store is nuts... as in packed. It does extremely well, at least when I've been by on the weekends. I'll definitely send them an e-mail. And I am so excited that Harris Teeter is coming to 1st and M. For the Swampoodle and Trinidad folks, this site is even closer. If you are a Metro commuter like me, nothing could be more convenient. I was excited enough to have one coming to Pennsylvania SE, but this is really great news. I just love NE.
As a former TJ's employee myself (and someone who continues to shop them despite the fact that I no longer enjoy a discount), I would be THRILLED to have one on H Street. I will definitely be talking to anyone and everyone I can within the company to try to push this.
Their Foggy Bottom store is a success due in large part to massive numbers of GW students who shop there...but also because it was the first TJs within the District. This location would be a great complement to that without being too direct a competition. And the proximity to so much new development AND Gallaudet could be terrific for them.
The H Street Community Market is a group of people trying to open a coop on or near H.
This was posted yesterday on the MOTH website.
And my sister lives in Carrboro, NC and I agree that coop is just awesome!
jen
from MOTH:
Please join the H Street Community Market for our first summer Mint Tea Social.
Bring your friends and family to Lincoln Park on July 1st between 4-6pm to drink some refreshing handmade locally-grown mint tea, and enjoy the company of cool drinks, friends, and neighbors.
Involved neighbors and board members will be there if you have any questions about how together we can get a co-operatively owned Natural Foods Grocery located here on Capitol Hill.
If you have any questions, please contact Karine Bouis-Towe at hstfoodcoop@gmail.com
Thanks and hope to see you there!
~MOTH and board member Holly Smith
I agree that Wegmans is unlikely. But it never hurts to dream. What I like is that they are really just a good old-fashioned grocery that happens to have stunningly good customer service. It's nothing uber trendy, just a great store, with very good products, outstanding training for employees, and fairly reasonable prices.
TJs isn't bad either. But they do tend to carry more of their own or obscure brands, which are often great but sometimes shoppers really want the safe, boring standard items we grew up with.
Another poster pointed out that there are plans for quite a few new groceries in DC.
That's all the more reason to lobby aggressively for one on H Street, sooner rather than later.
Whole Foods was a major catalyst for revitalizing Logan.
That model has repeated itself over and over again in different cities.
Being able to walk to a grocery is highly desireable, especially since we bill ourselves as a walkable city.
A grocery five blocks away is walkable. A grocery 15 blocks away isn't really walkable.
Does anyone have more specifics on the HT that someone mentioned planned for 1st and M? Is that a done deal?
heya hillman.
the HT on 1st and M, is pretty spot on. the project won approval by the city based on plans that it included a grocery store on the bottom floor. HT has signed a letter of intent to occupy that space.
barring any monkeywrenches, it's a go.
I know that Wegman's would be a tall order, and they have no urban stores, but if they were convinced it would be profitable, I think they might consider it. I wouldn't put money on them agreeing to it, but they have no foothold in the city, and there is a lot of urban money going to other grocers. Moreover, there will be a new Harris Teeter soon by the Potomac Avenue Metro. There are already two Whole Foods locations in the District. There is no Wegman's. I understand there is no Trader Joe's either, and they would be a strong second choice, IMO, but you can't do a full shop at Trader Joe's, and I also don't think it would generate the foot traffice a Wegman's would.
Of course, I'm probably preaching to the choir. I wonder if Councilman Wells would have any pull with them...
wegman's is a chain, and their model requires a large "footprint" and accompanying parking spots.
there is a trader joe's in dc - foggy bottom.
HT backed out of the 3rd and H because they didn't have enough parking. they are a chain and have a pretty large footprint requirement as well.
you can't do ALL your shopping at TJ or YES!, but at this point, that's all we're going to be able to target to move into the 3rd and H space.
it's a waste of time to sit around dreaming about options that aren't viable.
my only dissapointment is that the 3rd and H spot is going to take the space intended for HT and split it in half, so that when the time comes for H to get a bigger store, it won't be there on that development due to the smaller space.
i wonder when Murry's lease will be up. THAT would be a more viable option for a semi larger store...
I would love a grocery store to move into the autozone spot. It already has parking, and I believe the space is owned by the city.
I may be wrong, but I believe the footprints of both Murrys and AutoZone are smaller than the footprint that was being described for the 3rd and H lot. It would surprise me if a larger chain store would consider either one sufficient for their needs.
I would echo the call for a smaller, more niche store like Trader Joe's for a few key reasons:
1. Their Foggy Bottom store is doing almost exactly what this footprint is set up to do - ie, successfully using a space with limited breathing room and even less parking in an area that relies on neighborhood foot traffic for much of its business.
2. Like it or not, H Street already has one bigger, chain store - the Safeway in Hechinger Plaza. If a Harris Teeter is truly in the works for NoMA, there's almost no chance that another chain is going to want to locate in close proximity to not one, but two direct competitors.
3. Trader Joe's offers surprising value for shoppers, and not just for the unique stuff. Their prices on staple items (milk, eggs, pasta) are better than what you can find in Safeway and Giant, and they blow the doors off of Whole Foods. And in many cases, Trader Joe's private label items are identical to those sold in Whole Foods and, in some cases, to those sold under national brand names.
I may be a bit biased, but I have always thought TJ's would be a good fit for a neighborhood like ours.
i have never even shopped at trader joe's before, but everyone i know who has swears by them, so i sent my emailed letter in at the site indicated above by elise.
i hope we get TJ. i've encountered so many people who sing their praises...
i agree that we should focus our writing campaign on TJ. I've shopped at Yes and they are terribly overpriced.
Trader Joe's would be an amazing addition. I am 100% behind this notion. A letter writing/email sending campaign is definitely in order to try and attract them to the 3rd and H location. Truly the store can meet all of your grocery needs and at a very competitive price. Not to mention the excellent selection of wine and beer they could boast in DC. Please write to them in support!
Linden Place Dweller
How credible is this TJs rumor? TJs considers potential locations all the time -- including one across from Busboys & Poets at 14th and U St NW -- and nothing comes of it. I'm skeptical.
TJ's considers new locations all the time and, like any of us who check out many options in order to find the best, there's no question that they look at more places than they ultimately choose.
The rumor regarding TJ's certainly doesn't mean that they've committed to the idea--it just means they consider it a possibility. And I do know that TJ's is definitely looking at more DC locations due to the success of Foggy Bottom. I also know that one of the biggest reasons for the selection of the Foggy Bottom location was due to the neighborhood's action in trying to get them.
So there's nothing to be skeptical about. All that's being said is that Trader Joe's is aware of the possibility and that it's a good moment for neighborhood support.
Here's what I got back from Yes!:
Hello Chris,
Thank you very much for your interest in having Yes! Organic Market on
3rd and H Street.
We have been talking with the developers for several months.
We are working on a letter of intent for now but hoping it will develop
into a solid deal.
Once again thank you for your support.
Gary, Owner
Let's not be to hasty about pushing Murray's out. They are a vital business and serve a clientèle that won't be interested in or able to pay the prices at any trendy new store. Murray's is important to the texture of the neighborhood. I didn't stay away from Georgetown because I couldn't afford it. I came to NE because I like NE.
Post a Comment