Monday, April 30, 2012
CP: 7-11 to replace Sky Nails
It was in the comments here last week, and now the City Paper's Housing Complex has confirmed that former Sky Nails space (900 Bladensburg Road) is slated to become a 7-11. That's slightly odd since there is a CVS across the street, but it makes a lot more sense than the condo rumor that was going around. Here's a question: will it sell beer?
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36 comments:
Hear any news about that Chef's Corner Cafe going in at 13th and H (old Redskin Chef place). Sign shows breakfast lunch and dinner.
I guess I don't get the whole 7-11 thing. Isn't there one right down the street on H? Now a Wawa...that would have been something to talk about.
Either way, as a guy I'm going to be a lot more likely to use 7-11 than Sky Nails so it definitely benefits me more, and I like the idea of wide-appeal retail up here too.
Even better, a Taj'ma'wawa. Or a Royal Farms like the one in Hampden, with dirty magazines and solid fried chicken.
The whole convenience store placement really puzzles me. You often see a Rite Aid/Walgreens right across from a CVS. Now we have 3 7/11's in a half mile radius.
Not complaining as it's preferable to a liquor store or another unaffordable condo building.
It's all about dollars. If you don' think this 7/11 will make a nice profit think again.
There goes the neighborhood.
Will this be the catalyst for the Chicken Bone War of 2012?
Unrelated, but anyone know anything about Capitol Hill Tobacco on the 1000 block of Florida Ave? It has not had any tobacco (yes, a cigar store that has been open, but had 0 cigars) for several weeks, and this week it has been completely closed for several days.
It's a really nice place, when everything's working. Hidden gem.
How about the historical Blair Shelter school on I Street? Has anybody heard whats going to happen to that building?
Thumbs down. Why not a Yes! Organic Market or something that would promote healthier food options than beef jerky and a slurpee.
Sky Nails was probably a 7-11 or something like that at some point anyway. It has the right layout for it.
Anon 7:20,
A Yes! would not last a week. The people have spoken; they want chicken wings.
7:20: Look around, open your eyes. Do you REALLY think the majority of the folks within walking distance of the Sky Nails site are clamoring for an Organic Market? And do you REALLY think Yes! sees any opportunity to be successful in a location like that? When you ask "why not," stop to think that businesses are in business to maximize profits, and if they saw any viability in a location like that they would be considering it. 7-11 knows their market, and clearly knows the neighborhood, and will be a raging success because they are providing the supply to meet the demand. Whether it's in the best interests of anyone's long-term health is not the concern of the property owners or the 7-11 owners.
Murray's exists and thrives for a reason, and Whole Foods and Yes! are not yet on or around H Street for a reason. Yes! sees opportunity down at the western end of H and is planning their move to that area for another year or so out. The reason there are so many fried chicken and pizza places and wig shops and liquor stores in the area is that is what, historically, the neighborhood has wanted and what the neighborhood will support. It's why Aldi moved in. It's why the Starburst Safeway sucks. It's what the current market can support.
It takes a real visionary (ala Joe Englert) to take a look at something so ripe for change and step in and make it happen. And H street's current successes owe it all almostly entirely to him and those who followed after. But it doesn't change the fact that there are still many, many, people in this neighborhood who are living day to day and feel lucky if they can find something affordable to feed their kids. Fair or not, they are not far enough up the economic ladder to be able to worry about healthy or organic. You can't force brocolli on a grownup who wants a Slim Jim.
When the time's right, either you, in your great wisdom, will open up your own organic market because you feel it is important and that it can be profitable, or you'll just have to wait for conditions to be right for someone else, with someone else's money, to do it when the tipping point is reached.
Anon 7:20 - I would definitely shop at a Yes! Organic, a Whole Foods, or a Trader Joe's in the location where Sky Nails died. If the apartments across the street actually fill up, there will be hundreds of people with discretionary income, and they will want to walk across Bladensburg Rd to a Yes!, rather than walking across Maryland Avenue to the Aldi or Safeway. I personally think Anon 10:42 is slightly behind the times in his/her assessment of the area.
And for those readers wondering about the 7-11 location across from a CVS, the CVS may not be there for many more years, since that property is owned by another successful developer, Anthony Lanier: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/better-real-estate-is-laniers-guiding-light/2012/01/03/gIQAE4FsjP_print.html
I would love the CVS location to house a new H Street Playhouse: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2012/01/05/h-street-playhouse-priced-out-of-h-street-looking-for-new-spot-to-open/
Wait...there are several people along Bladensburg Road with salaries above $15,000 per year, who promise to buy ingredients for a salad several times a week? Well, alrighty then, let me get out my checkbook and invest several million dollars in a gourmet grocery store! I'll just check over on that corner there and see if any of those guys hanging around would like to be cashiers...they seem to have some time on their hands...
@ anon 10:42 - "Murray's exists and thrives for a reason" Actually, Murray's sold recently and is to be redeveloped itnto residential and mixed use along with the eyesore that is H Street Storage.
If the apartments across from Sky Nails fill up, there will be several people on Bladensburg Rd with salaries above $75,000 a year -- that's five times $15,000.
@anon 10:42, I agree with what you said. The Murry's is not going anywhere until after 2017. As far as the H St Storage? The national chain that owns the building and runs it is not feeling any need to sell or to re-develop.
By the time things physically at 6 & H, the 7-11 and the Flats will be up and running.
Things are moving and improving, but not as fast as some people might think. Whole Foods, Yes!, Trader Joe's will not locate here. I would place my bet on the Rhode Island Ave. re-development area.
Did H St Storage not sell? Did the contract fall through?
http://hstreetgreatstreet.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-owners-of-murrys-site-purchasing-h.html
It has not been sold and is still in contract. When it becomes worth perusing, they will proceed with it. Till then, it is not going anywhere. They have a low overhead and high profit margin.
The new owners of Murray's/H Street Storage are presenting their plans for the redevelopment tomorrow's at ANC 6C PZE meeting. http://www.anc6c.org/pze.html
holllaaaa
10:42- There is a YES organic market in heart of Brookland and thriving. If you look at the demographics of the two areas they aren't that different.
A Yes! or similar organic market would thrive near the middle of H Street (600-800 block). Bladensburg is too far for those living on the west end and 3rd is too far for Trinidaddies.
If the Yes! Organic market can survive in Anacostia across the bridge, it could survive on Bladensburg near the Flats. That said, it would do better further west on H-- everyone would just pick the the groceries on their way home.
When I go to the Murray's - maybe a few times a month - it doesn't seem to be thriving. In fact, it seems less crowded than a couple of years ago. It's true that I tend not to go during rush hour, when they are probably busier. And the Giant will certainly take a chunk of their business. Though not all; I'll still go to Murray's to stock up on my wife's beloved 99 cent pizzas, and I doubt that Giant will have quite the selection of fatty frozen beef.
This is going to be quite a change. A lot of places here you can't touch certain products, or go behind the glass. Now you will be able to do both, plus I think Sky Nails used to have the grates on it at night when it shut down. Instead we will now have a bright store with activity going on inside at all hours of the night. It's going to be interesting to see how this turns out.
That place looks like it used to be a 7-11. Could this have come full circle?
murray's. ew.
just.... ewwww...
I hope Derek has expendable income if he's betting on RI Ave. over H St.
I don't have expandable income. H St. is already happening and has been for the past few years. Where is the next up-in-coming-neighborhood? I say it is RI Ave, especially around the Metro stop. Besides, more than one significant developer has told me this. Also, have you seen the development there lately?
As for me, I'm looking forward to Jair Lynch to get busy with his property, Dreyfus to begin his, and Murry's to see the writing on the wall so that corner can begin. Things take time.
poo - I really don't get the anti-Murry's snobbery. Yes, they sell a lot of crap, but they also have a produce section with a choice of maybe 50 different fresh fruits and vegetables - most of which are perfectly fine and reasonably priced. They have the turkey bacon (which seems from packaging and product to be exactly the same as Trader Joe's sells). They have eggs and bread and cheese and ice cream and juice and frozen vegetables. It's not the grocery store I would choose to have around the corner, it't not where I do much of my shopping, and I'll be thrilled when the Giant opens, but for now I am glad that we DO have a grocery store a few blocks from my house.
Poo...ewwww.
Just eww.
whateves- i just hope they have a working coke slurpee machine!
Hopefully 7-11 keeps the sidewalk cleaner than Sky Nails did. I think its a great addition to the neighborhood.
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