Bank of Georgetown Rowing Into PQ (822 E St NW)

Mixed feelings on this, I hated seeing a turn-key operation sitting empty so I’m glad it will be opening in the near future. But I sure wish it was going to be food or retail and not a bank.

i love banks this size.. because it doesnt take billions to be one of their largest depositors.. which is great..and in this day and age “independent” ANYTHING is hard to find..so i think this is a great addition to our community…welcome BOG!
xoxo

Agreed, Columbo, that this represents a bit of a mixed blessing for our neighborhood. Empty storefronts are always bad, but a business that’s only open weekdays from 9-5 (if that) isn’t much of a neighborhood amenity.

Speaking of empty storefronts, it looks like Akridge will have filled all but one space in Carroll Square soon (only the space on the corner of 10th & G seems to be vacant with no work happening). And of course Jemal’s Atlantic Building, completed almost a year before Carroll Square, has yet to open a single store (although the Peruvian place seems to be slowly but surely coming along). Thanks Doug for making such a commitment to the neighborhood!

3 of their 4 branches have Saturday hours so this one could too. it’s a community bank, it’s homegrown and it’s taking a space where a restaurant failed and thus is trying a new angle for that location. I think this is a net add for the neighborhood.

these thrifts/S&Ls are typically the types of banks where you get to know the manager and its employees on a first name basis regardless of the size of your deposits. see sb’s comment which I echo.

They must be putting a substantial amount of office space in the basement. There isn’t much on the ground level, at least the way the former restaurant had it laid out.

As for Douglas Development, I don’t understand the recurring hostility to him on this blog. He’s definitely had some missteps, but he’s responsible for the development on the block surrounding the Spy Museum (which was an early and important step for PQ), and without him the west side of 7th Street may have looked like the east side. And of course there’s the H&M, Zara and West Elm trio in the Woodies building, with West Elm nicely incorporating features of the old department store.

Speaking of banks,
Anyone know what’s up with the Commerce Bank on 7th and I? I thought it was supposed to be open in March…?

He has done some nice development work, but if you have done business with Jemal, you would understand the hostility.

It is an infuriating process. Contracts are irrelevant. A good friend of mine who works for a major real estate development company once commented that “With Jemal, a signed contract is the starting point for negotiations”.

Commerce bank opens June 12th. Been waiting for this to open for a lonnnggg time so I don’t have to trek out to Old Town or up to Dupont to do my banking. Happy to see it finally will.

I’m all for independent and local businesses, as long as they’re competent. Bank of Georgetown has so far lost both of the two mortgage payments I made to them — one by Bill Pay through Bank of America and one sent as a regular check. *Both* times they insisted it couldn’t be them. They also refused to refund the late fee assessed on the one paid electronically through Bank of America. Bank of America, however, credited my account in the amount of the Bank of Georgetown’s late fee.

Thanks Loofa – I like to use their change sorter (I’ve got tons of coins ready for redenption…)