Kimpton Exits Glover Park Hotel
The Glover Park Hotel, known as Savoy Suites for eons, was re-branded under the Kimpton name in 2016 with much fanfare, expectation and marketing. Well, Covid did a number on Kimpton last year apparently. They are part of the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) which partnered with the Service Properties Trust (SVC) – a $12 billion REIT which owns numerous hotel properties. IHG fell short of its minimum rents and returns to SVC last summer and SVC terminated its affiliation with IHG covering 103 hotels, including a few with the Kimpton branding. SVC then made a deal with Sonesta to re-brand many of these hotels. Kimpton Glover Park was not part of the IHG default to SVC, but they have pulled out of the hotel nevertheless. This leaves only two remaining Kimpton hotels in DC, down from twelve a short while ago. Our Glover Park hotel has been renamed “The Glover Park Hotel Georgetown” which seems a little schizophrenic, but ok. Matt Wexler with Foxhall Partners, which owns the building under the “CS Bond St S Properties, LLC” stated that the hotel now is “under independent local management”, but did not name a person or group. At least they are open, and their new restaurant, The Glover Park Grill, is great and the outdoor Deck has been open for activities.
Whole Foods Renovations Underway
The four-year saga of the closing of the Glover Park Whole Foods is about to end – yay! If you are not up to speed on the saga, you can read all about it here, where you will find a dozen updates to browse. A $5.8 million construction contract with L.F. Jennings Inc. of Falls Church VA is signed, permits obtained and re-construction is underway. When will they open? A guess-timate is in the fall, though no timeline has been disclosed yet.
2208 Wisconsin Ave Apartments Almost Ready
Coba, a real estate development company, is nearing completion on its redevelopment of the Georgetown Carpet property. They do not have a name yet, but according to Abdo Roffe, the Director of Development, they are tossing around 2 or 3 names and nearing a decision and will decide on a rent range soon as well. The building will have 36 apartments, two ground level retail units and 19 underground parking spaces. They will begin marketing the apartments in late spring and expect it to be ready for occupancy by the end of the summer or early fall.
Observatory Park Apartments Almost Ready
The former Pearson’s Wine and Spirits parking lot almost is ready for occupancy. Not in the parking lot, which is gone, but the 27 apartment units plus ground level retail at 2430 Wisconsin Ave under construction by Petra Development. They have named the project Observatory Park. No one could be reached for comment on the project timeline or rent range, though I will update this if they respond.
MakeOffices Folds
Flexible co-working space for rent by the month seemed to be such a great idea back in 2018 and the trend was catching on. MakeOffices opened 30,000 square feet of beautiful temporary office space at 2201 Wisconsin Ave, and then Covid hit. How do you make your rent payments to the landlord when you have no rent from your tenants because they cannot occupy your building and have figured out how to Zoom from home? Well, you can’t, so MakeOffices has shut down operations in the DC area, closed some offices and transferred some space to other companies. Launch Workplaces believes the model can work again post-pandemic and they have taken over operations of the Glover Park location, while already actively marketing the offices for rent. Looks to be about the same amenities and perks that MakeOffices offered, less the free beer on tap (mistake!).
KinderCare Ready to Open
The sad-looking façade of the long-vacant International Union of Operating Engineers building is gone, and the happy front of KinderCare has replaced it! The re-development at 2461 Wisconsin is complete, the classrooms are decked-out and KinderCare is about ready for occupancy this spring. Many parents are desperate for some kid care after a year of closings, so their timing is great.
Dominos/Laliguras Fire Closes Businesses
On March 12, 2021 a major fire broke out at the Calvert Center at 2330-2336 Wisconsin Ave, which houses Domino’s, Laliguras, the Glover Park post office and Chipotle. See aftermath video here. It might have started in Domino’s, or it might have started in Laliguras – the jury is still out. Regardless, three establishments are shut down for the time being (it appears Chipotle on the opposite end was spared). There is another Laliguras on Connecticut Avenue, and another Domino's up the street at 4539 Wisconsin Ave, so you can still order. Hopefully no one was injured, and the rebuild will be expedient.
Comments