Big GDS news
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Anonymous
| I suspect GDS will ask for a huge project up front knowing that it will get negotiated down with the neighborhood. |
Anonymous
I expect they will sell out to a developer gropi like Bozzuto and possibly keep a minority stake. There may well be a developer involved behind the scenes at this point. |
Anonymous
| Trader Joes is the grocery chain exception in that they can work with smaller space footprints. GDS woukd be well served to attract them. Unfirtunatkey, the big chains like Safeway and Giant/Stop & Shop have decided that they want a minimum size of about 60K sq ft (about the size of the Cathedral Commons Giant on Wisconsin). While this model may be optimal in outer suburbs, it may not be in more urbanized locations where customers shop more frequently and prize convenient, quick shoppinto find a few items, and don't like roaming acres of aisles. This may be the reason why customer patronage at the new Giant and even the Georgetown Safeway is said to have.been below expectations. |
Anonymous
| The nw current story was interesting in that there is no mention of closing 43nd street. GDS lower and middle schools are now surrounded by new housing. I suspect that a developer is already working very closely with the school and is guiding this process with an eye on getting the lower school for lux housing. Given the scale laid out this week, I won't be surprised if this a ten-year project from proposal to breaking ground. By coincidence, I was in the audience of the historic review board when STA was making the pitch in their current project. That was eight years ago. Gds is not inns historic area but projects this big move very slowly. |
Anonymous
| Aldi is moving into the region and its typical store is 18K, which could work in that project. Interesting model -- low prices, store brands, with stock limited to most-purchased items in most-purchased sizes. They do carry meat and fresh produce (including local and organic). Not sure about their selection of cleaning supplies, paper goods, shampoos, OTC drugs, etc. |
Anonymous
| Rodman's should move to the gds site. |
Anonymous
| Will GDS finally bite the bullet and build a hot food cafeteria, or will its students be dependent on some future grocery store as their lunchroom (the purpose Safeway serves now)? |
Anonymous
GDS is being advised by an uber-high powered board as well as by highly successful commercial real estate entrepreneurs. The Washington Post calls them a "roster of aces." If anyone can make this happen, they will. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2014/06/16/behind-georgetown-day-school-deals-a-roster-of-real-estate-aces/ |
Anonymous
They would build a dining facility according to an email that was accidentally sent out about preparations for a $75M capital campaign to expand financial aid and economic diversity, build the new unified campus, double the annual fund, and stabilize tuition. Pretty exciting and ambitious goals. |
Anonymous
Not really. GDS was established in 1945. Their endowment is dwarfed by other schools in the region. They want to create additional revenue streams in order to stabilize tuition yet be able to offer robust financial aid packages. |
Anonymous
If you read the Post article, GDS is partnering with developers on this -- perhaps arrangements are informal now, but I would look for some kind of formal development group structure later in which GDS either sells the approved project before construction or retains a minority interest. |
Anonymous
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The developer partners are part of the GDS board who have orchestrated this development. So basically, GDS is turning to the GWU model of being a land developer which happens to educate some kids. And yes, the neighborhood is getting the worst of all worlds. How they are going to get all of the cars that by necessity will have to pick up and drop off lower school and many if not all middle school kids (and many high school kids) in those streets is beyond me, and I am glad that isn't my problem.
-Developer gets 1-2 major projects. -School gets 1200 or whatever kids on to a single campus. -Developer gets to redevelop the lower school campus for townhouses. -Neighbors in both Palisades and Tenley get??? I would be very wary about this if I lived in that area. |
Anonymous
Do you get paid to post this drivel? Are you affiliated with the board? Or just a troll trying to make GDS an object of ridicule? |
Anonymous
Doesn't look like a good move for the school either. 1200 students on a campus no bigger than Maret's (which serves 645). L/MS playing field on the roof. Drop-off for the lower school inside a garage. Way to go uber-talented developers! |
Anonymous
| It will be a serious cash cow for the developers. Just as with Rosedale in Cleveland Park, they can hide behind the facade of the school (or the park in the case of Rosedale) and make a ton of money developing fancy homes and condos on the periphery. |