Anonymous wrote:Commercial real estate in DC is screwed.

Well, maybe if prices come down we can have small businesses that can actually afford the rent. I don't really feel bad if people lose money on commercial real estate here.

My office building windows/doors are boarded up. They open the door to the lobby from 8-6 during the week but board it up again at night. It’s a block from BLM plaza though so in a hotspot. I’m guessing it will remain boarded up until after the election. The building is open though.

Commercial real estate in DC is screwed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably when Covid is done - folks do realize lots of businesses downtown haven't reopened because it isn't worth the trouble right now for lack of customers?

They may have boarded up originally because of fear of looting but the businesses weren't re-opening anyhow so why bother to remove the plywood?

This.

Yes. This.
Downtown Biz owner.

Anonymous wrote:It's really an awful shame. I was downtown this week for the first time in a while and it's just sad. What a waste of so much beautiful, useful commercial real estate.

DC has such nice buildings and too see them boarded up and unused is really a crime.

I hate to be the one to tell you, but most of the people who used to work downtown have been working from home for several months and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. That mean that many of the places where they used to work and many of the businesses where they used to eat and shop will also go unused for the foreseeable future. While that sucks for multiple reasons, I don’t view any of those reasons as “really a crime”.

There are contributing factors that I view as “crimes”, but that discussion is more suited for the general Political forum.

Lots (most?) of the plywood DID come down. I'm thinking of Target and CVS stores. In my area of NE, there is no plywood. DC is super sleepy and certainly no rioting

Anonymous wrote:Probably when Covid is done - folks do realize lots of businesses downtown haven't reopened because it isn't worth the trouble right now for lack of customers?

They may have boarded up originally because of fear of looting but the businesses weren't re-opening anyhow so why bother to remove the plywood?

This.

It's really an awful shame. I was downtown this week for the first time in a while and it's just sad. What a waste of so much beautiful, useful commercial real estate.

DC has such nice buildings and too see them boarded up and unused is really a crime.

there is a backlog on specialized glass to replace all the broken windows. It might be a while.

I doubt Biden is going to get things fixed any time soon.

Anonymous wrote:After Biden wins the election.

I was going to say the same thing. I'm really looking forward to a return of normalcy under Biden.

Probably when Covid is done - folks do realize lots of businesses downtown haven't reopened because it isn't worth the trouble right now for lack of customers?

They may have boarded up originally because of fear of looting but the businesses weren't re-opening anyhow so why bother to remove the plywood?

Anonymous wrote:After Biden wins the election.

+100

The rioting, looting and burning will stop because Biden

After Biden wins the election.

Really sad to see so many boarded up stores and restaurants downtown.