Balducci’s Break Up With Penn Quarter Now Final

Can’t tell you how excited I got when reading that article. Agreed that now is the time to put past differences aside and work together to secure a resource that we all can enjoy.

Excellent news. The charade is finally over and those in charge can concentrate on stores that actually want to be here.

TJ’s come HERE!!!

We should develop a list of the 2 or 3 grocers that would make a match for the space and focus our attention on them.

Penn Quarter deserves better. I thought the post article was a bit melodramatic. I don’t know of anyone who was “devastated” from the loss of Balducci’s. Let’s get ourselves a real grocer. Trader Joes would be great. Just give me a place where I get all, or at least most, of my weekly grocery needs. Perhaps GPLiving could host it’s first in-person meet-up and maybe invite James Duncan from JPI to discuss the possibilities.

I am so excited, and I just can’t hide it! LOL Anyway, the neighborhood deserves a grocery store that actually wants to be here, preferably a grocery store with reasonable prices and decent customer service. I am glad that Balducci’s is finally moving on.

I’m not sure I understand the logic behind focusing on a couple stores. If we make clear (as we have been doing) that there is tremendous demand here, the market should determine the grocer most willing to serve our needs (and take our money). As much as I’d die for a TJ’s, if they aren’t interested there are plenty of grocers who are, or at least should be.

Remember BAD-ucci’s has a lease until December. So we will stil have over 3 months of an empty storefront to look at it.

I personally hope that the next grocer will not be Trader’s Joe. I like Trader Joe’s but it is not a complete grocery. You go there looking for a baking potato or a tomato sauce, they don’t have either. We need a grocer that stocks everything (not necessarily 10 different brands of baked beans; just one or two of everything will do). It may be moot because Trader’s Joe is not interested in that “large” the space the 7th Street offers

Balducci’s has a lease until December?
I thought they had a long-term lease and needed to sub-let the space. Can someone confirm this?

We just got back from the new Trader Joe’s. It’s such a great store. While we were checking out, we asked the crew member how business was going and he said it was “very, very busy.” I told him, “hopefully that means more stores in DC!” To that he replied, “It’s looking like 7th street, downtown is next” and he proceeded to talk about the now open Balducci’s space. We didn’t even prompt him. I know this is just speculation, but at least it seems like there’s some talk of a new Penn Quarter store from within the TJ’s circle.

Virginia has some very nice grocery stores.

TJ’s + Eatzi’s would be awesome..

yes, but… we don’t live in virginia.

California also has nice grocery stores. Also Brazil.

I agree the Trader Joe’s is incomplete. I worked next to one for years, and always had to go to another grocer to finish my shopping. Fresh baked bread or bagels? Nope. Deli for fresh steaks, fish, etc? Nope. Produce? Yeah, but very limited. Not a real grocer. Plus, now they have one blocks away in Foggy Bottom.

What contractual obligations does this leave Balduccis with to find someone to take over the lease? The article states that they may consider terminating the lease. I assume that means that it falls back to the developer to find a new retailer? If that is the case, what contractual obligtations does the developer have to make sure that space goes to another grocery store? I believe I heard at one point that there was a limit to the length of time that the developer was required to find a grocery store, and after that time period they were free to pursue other options including breaking up the space to accomodate other kinds of retail (i.e. no grocery store). This was only rumor and speculation however, and I’d like to hear from anyone that has any more knowledge or insight. Obviously my concern is that, despite what happens or happened with Balduccis, this space be saved for a grocery store, and not used for other purposes.

Yes, the contract with the city to bring a grocery store into the Jefferson space ends at the end of 2006. If no grocery store leases out the space by that time, JPI *can* lease it out to anyone it wants.

But, with interest from both Magruders and Trader Joe’s, we’re thinking that it won’t come down to that.

Folks over on U Street have started a We Want Trader Joe’s website. Looks like we’ve got competition!

http://yes.wewanttraderjoes.com/

Thanks, that is very helpful clarification about the December 2006 deadline. I hope everyone takes note that this needs to be a fast and aggressive campaign. While I would hope the developers will respect the needs and wishes of the community even after their obligation to the city ends, i know that business always comes first and we can’t expect them to not think that way come January 1.

We were at the TJ’s in Foggy Bottom last Sunday and the cashiers were asking for people’s zip codes. I’m guessing they’re trying to figure out where people are coming from to determine the most likely next location.

Maybe we should start by coming together to pressure JPI to replace Balducci’s with another grocery store. GPLiving, can we start a campaign to pressure JPI to find another grocer?

I just visited the Foggy Bottom Trader Joe’s. I haven’t been to a TJ’s in years because their other locations are hard for me to get to. But they have lots of great stuff at very reasonable prices (many of the brands are the same as at Whole Foods), and they focus on the types of food most of us actually buy on a regular basis. It’s not a traditional grocery store, but we’ll never get that (or even a Whole Foods) in a 20,000 square foot space. So… is there a petition I can sign???