In Columbia Heights, a Battle Over Retail
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Like (A YEAR AGO, the unsuccessful grassroots push to lure Whole Foods to the rising commercial district in Columbia Heights fed into a simmering battle over the neighborhood's identity.
Was the new Columbia Heights, with its luxury condos and shiny new retail, for the new, richer residents it had begun attracting or the not-as-wealthy mainstays who'd lived there for years?
The District, which predicts a retail renaissance on 14th Street NW once the Target-anchored DC USA complex (pictured here under construction last year) is completed, says the revitalized Columbia Heights will be a place for everyone in the city to enjoy.
The following passage, part of an article written last year by The Post's Lyndsey Layton on the Whole Foods push, fed into the new resident vs. established resident argument and sparked some ire online:
Lauren Tobias, 29, a communications consultant who lives at 14th and Chapin streets, spoke glowingly about the prepared foods at Whole Foods and how young professionals want the convenience of picking up a quick, healthy dinner. Then she caught herself. "I don't want it to sound like I'm one of the new people and I need all these services," she said. "But a Whole Foods is just needed."Now on the Columbia Heights message board, a bastion for many of those new people who say they're in need of services, there are some concerns about the prospect of a Ross Dress for Less or other low-end retailers setting up shop on 14th Street.
Writes RJ Mauch:
Whatever you think of the project, who's at fault for what mistake, unless you want one more item [to add] to the list a problems I suggest we figure out how to discourage Ross from coming into the space next to Marshal[l]s, especially if they really are on the fence.But do sentiments like these mask a larger neighborhood conflict? Says batboy8686:
Let's be straight up about this.Stay tuned.The debate about Ross Dress for Less in Columbia Heights REALLY comes down to peeps thinking they could make 10% annually on a real estate investment. Nothing more. Nothing less.
You have a Starbucks. You have some condos that have presumably sold. The anti-Ross campaign really comes down to people thinking they were going to move to Logan Circle — no more, no "less".
Move to Friendship Heights instead of Columbia Heights if you have a problem.
» "Hungry for Whole Foods" [WaPo]
» "Anti-Ross = Code Language" [Columbia Heights/Yahoo Group via D.C. Metblogs]
Photo by Michel du Cille/The Washington Post
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Addison Road
I should you an updated photo. That block looks *completely* different now.
By rockcreekrambler , Posted July 11, 2007 4:03 PMIndeed, the block looks totally different now. But oh the memories ... The DCUSA building in particular, I can't put my finger on it. It looks like a cross between the Verizon Center and the old Convention Center. It's massive.
By mgrass , Posted July 12, 2007 8:06 AMRoss and Marshals, both same discount clothing stores, what is the point of that?
These leases go up for 20 years, so I guess some in Columbia Heights would like to have as many possible discount clothing stores that can fit in that place... because that would make perfect... nonsense.
By RJ , Posted September 4, 2007 12:55 AM