HNTB Space + Balducci’s Space: Doesn’t Work For Whole Foods

Despite their decision, do you get the impression Whole Foods believes the spaces could be combined? That would be a huge space, as I believe HNTB has a couple levels. But aren’t they different buildings? The city still has 419 7th St (HNTB’s location) owned by the IOOF.

We posted the entire response from the real estate rep – it’s kind of hard to make any further conclusions from the statement.

I wonder if there’s a parking requirement for its stores. Both their Tenleytown and Logan Circle stores have onsite parking even thought there’s a lot of customers that shop thre without cars.

Yes, there is a parking requirement that Whole Foods has some space reserved for their exclusive use. The old Balducci’s plans had dedicated parking in the building parking garage, so no problem there.

This is all so frustrating. Why can’t we get a grocery to come in around here? Why aren’t grocers falling all over themselves to compete with one another to come in here?

I got frustrated anew Wednesday night when I was schlepping to Whole Foods (hitching a ride with a friend who has a car) and wishing we had a grocery store of our own. There’s no doubt we could support one. *Sigh*

Ask JPI why there is no grocery store. I’m sure companies are interested… could it be.. *Greed* preventing the lease of the space?

At one point there was a grocery that was supposed to be in the redevelopment of the old convention center site. Does anyone know it it made through to the final plan?

In the meantime the multi-level lots of of space of the HTNB space sounds like a possible fit for Wegman’s.

A person can dream, right?

Dream away, Wegman’s lover. They don’t appear to like the city much.

I’m with CBD in my frustration over the grocery store issue. How many condo buildings have to open in PQ/GP/EE before a grocer realizes there’s thousands of (mostly affluent) people in a small area with no grocery store?

I’m not willing to pin this one on JPI yet, as they have no apparent incentive to keep the space empty. Unless they’re holding out until they no longer have to make it a grocery store, in which case I hope they like ANC and zoning board meetings!

I think parking might be a sticking point — Balducci’s was to have 60 spaces in the Interpark garage. I doubt Whole Foods or Wegmans would consider that enough.

Why not open another Bistro for all my lawyer colleagues so they can wine and dine their girlfriends behind their wives back?

The last we heard, they were still trying to end their lease with Balducci’s. Don’t know what the current status is with the lease though.

Have a glass of wine and relax! There will be a Safeway at 5th and K. Additionally there is a Giant Grocery with parking that is open 24 hours on 7th ST NW at O ST NW. Small items can be bought at CVS. There are a whole host of grocery stores with parking, just a cab ride away or even a nice walk away if you are athletic. Honestly I do not see what all the fuss is about. Come on… Wholefoods at Logan- you can walk there and cab it back for just 6.50. Same for Safeway on 17th ST. I really fail to see how so many people can get so bogged down about this. What do ya want? A chicken in every pot and a grocery on every block?

1. take the #70 bus get a transfer and hop the G2 to Whole Foods. or
2. take the circulator to 8th and O.
3. hop the green line to waterside safeway

I do all these things – DC Circulator to the 8th & O Giant ; Green Line to the Waterfront-SEU Safeway; 30 buses to Yes! Organic Market at Eastern Market; Red Line to Dupont Circle, walk east to Whole Foods, Metro back with my little cart. Yes, I do a lot of walking, and a lot of schlepping heavy bags. At least my arms are stronger for it!

But I bought in the Clara Barton this spring thinking that Balducci’s was about to open there, and so that disappointment was intense and still lingers. It would be nice to be able to just dash to the grocer quickly now and then without having to plan out an hour or more for the whole trip. None of the available grocery options are in Penn Quarter; the Giant is in Shaw. If we’re truly going to be a neighborhood, we need our own grocer (as well as suppliers of other necessities – hardware store, etc.).

barton dweller:

you live right next to one of the most exclusive and unique pieces of real estate in the world. the national mall of the united states. it is unrealistic to expect a shopping center so close to such a location.

robin: Thousands of Penn Quarter residents live close to the national mall. Yes, it’s a special place to live, but the residents have created a market for a neighborhood grocery store. 10 years ago, people may have said “people can’t live in PQ because it’s too close to the national mall.” Obviously, that is not true today.

I don’t think it’s unrealistic to expect a grocery store. Long before JPI was chosen as the developer, it was well publicized that there would be a grocery store going into the property. It was one of the factors that convinced me to buy in Penn Quarter–otherwise I wouldn’t have waited for the new construction and would be living in Dupont or upper northwest right now.

As for the Wegmans discussion above, even if the two properties were combined that wouldn’t even be 1/3 the size of the Wegmans going into the suburbs.

A tip for grocery shoppers: If you find yourself on the Red Line, there’s a Giant at the Van Ness metro and a Whole Foods at the Tenleytown metro. The train ride is farther, but the walk is much shorter.

I share all of your frustrations! Recenlty I have been frequenting Trader Joe’s in Foggy Bottom (metro there, taxi back). That is a space sized similar to our empty space. The store was SO packed two Mondays ago that the line streched all the way to the back of the store! They seem to be doing great business.

I also take a zip car to either shoppers club or harris teeter in NoVa. The ride (not during rush hour) takes about 5 minutes on the highway and zip car is pretty cheap.

A few tips for those of you who don’t want to throw around $$ on taxis and zip cars….

1. Renting a car can be A LOT cheaper than Zip Cars. I recently rented one through http://www.priceline.com. I bid $10 and got it. That’s $10 for an entire 24 hour rental. I’m just sure to return it the same day so I never have to deal with overnight parking.

2. The Circulator bus takes you to Trader Joe’s for a buck and you get a free ride back with your transfer.

3. Ordering online with Peapod (Giant) and Safeway is a great way to stock up on non-perishables and heavy stuff. Their delivery fee can get expensive (approx $5- $9) but once you use it once, you’ll start getting coupons for free delivery in the future.

4. If you do the occasional online stock-up shopping, when you walk, metro or bus to grocery stores around the city, you’ll only have to buy fresh stuff….and you’ll be able to carry it all home without trouble….and without taking a taxi.

5. Buy a portable/foldable shopping cart. You can get one right in the neighborhood at Bed Bath & Beyond.

6. Stop moaning and remember you live in a great neighborhood and a great city….
If the worst of your worries is the lack of a grocery store at your fingertips – your life is pretty good wouldn’t you say?

Wonderful tips anonymous! Let’s remember that the new Penn Quarter is a relatively new neighborhood. While I also wish that I could just snap my fingers and have every type of store I like in the neighborhood, I know that it is just not realistic. Things take time. We have a lot of great things that other neighborhoods are sorely lacking. Let’s be happy for what we have, realize that one market is really not that far (the Giant at 7th & O), a new market is on the way (Safeway at 5th & K) and keep hoping for great stores to populate Penn Quarter.

I think we all know how to buy groceries *elsewhere* …but thanks.

There are many good reasons to want a grocery IN your immediate neighborhood. Is that really in debate?

Agreed that we can all figure out how to buy groceries in other places (we’re all eating, right?). And we’re not asking for a shopping center, just a grocery store. I’ve never understood what takes so much time when there’s empty space, willing customers, and willing retailers.

We’re not idiots….we couldn’t afford to live in this part of town if we were…we know how to buy groceries. We know how to travel around the city. The point is that THOUSANDS of WEALTHY and BUSY residents along with THOUSANDS of day travelers (tourists and office workers) shouldn’t have to travel over a mile (yes that is the distance to the nearest grocery store….look it up on WMATA’s site) to get what we, in this neighborhood, could easily support and were promised when we moved in. If you don’t believe a grocery store in this neighborhood would flourish….well I’ll keep my thoughts to myself because they’re not very nice. If you don’t think we need a grocery store, good for you, I mean why would THOUSANDS of WEALTHY and BUSY people want a close by grocery store…thanks, but quite frankly you can keep your thoughts to yourself, we have everything to gain by getting a grocery store, and you have nothing to gain by preventing one. Having one in this neighborhood: 1) makes sense; 2) is convenient; 3) AND RAISES PROPERTY VALUES!!!!!!!!!

So let’s get on board people, a grocery store 10 blocks away is far away in the city, especially if you are busy and do bulk shopping and like fresh food. we WANT, we NEED, and we DESERVE a grocery store in this neighborhood, and that is the END of the story!!!