Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Macy's store and office building will be replaced by two 16 storey towers with 555 apartments and 250 parking spaces. There will be an unnamed grocery store on the main level and a little bit of retail. Arlington is still negotiating on the number of affordable units but it will be sizable to join all the other affordable units in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. The affordable housing will be more dispersed than along the Langston Corridor.

Any thoughts on which grocery store? TJs? I thought a Trader Joe's was coming to the former mini-Target space in FC. All of the other TJs are also crowded, though, so I guess there's enough demand.

A new Harris-Teeter is across the street, so it more likely to be a Trader Joe's or a Fresh Market. The Giant at Spout Run closed and al lot of Giant shoppers are crowding the store at Virginia Square. It might be a downscale Giant because of all the affordable housing in the corridor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question - 553 apartments with a Whole Foods on the ground floor is going to replace Macy's

https://ipgapts.com/property/macys-ballston/

That links says nothing about a Whole Foods. As much as I'd love one, it could be Mom's, Aldi, Trader Joe's (which would be better!!).

I have lived near the Safeway for over 20 years. Earlier PP was correct that NIMBYs messed up the redevelopment of that parcel. I think it's been 10 years, though. I'm not sure that's long enough for those who opposed it to have left.

It's supposed to be a grocery store that is just now or will soon enter the DC market. Probably a Sprouts Organic or a Publix, which is already in Richmond and moving up this way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question - 553 apartments with a Whole Foods on the ground floor is going to replace Macy's

https://ipgapts.com/property/macys-ballston/

That links says nothing about a Whole Foods. As much as I'd love one, it could be Mom's, Aldi, Trader Joe's (which would be better!!).

I have lived near the Safeway for over 20 years. Earlier PP was correct that NIMBYs messed up the redevelopment of that parcel. I think it's been 10 years, though. I'm not sure that's long enough for those who opposed it to have left.

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question - 553 apartments with a Whole Foods on the ground floor is going to replace Macy's

https://ipgapts.com/property/macys-ballston/

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question - 553 apartments with a Whole Foods on the ground floor is going to replace Macy's

https://ipgapts.com/property/macys-ballston/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully a Safeway will move in. They are pricey but decent selection overall. The nearby Safeways haven’t been renovated since the 70s or 80s and aren’t worth the trip.

The Safeway on Wilson Blvd. was renovated a year ago and both the Cherrydale and Lee-Harrison Safeways were renovated in the last few years. They may not be worth the trip for you, but they have very high profits per square foot, particularly the Lee-Harrison Safeway.

The Safeway on Wilson (near Geo Mason) is a joke - tiny - basically a glorified convenience store. Safeway has tried to upgrade it to a real grocery store several times - but NIMBYs Bluemont have successfully blocked it.

Didn’t the Bluemont Civic Assn sponsor a design competition for the Safeway site a few years back (before covid). A young architecture student won top prize—his winning entry had 5 or six levels of mixed income housing above a brand new, ground level Safeway store with large picture windows to let in natural light. I think the County Board or Staff was against it and no developer stepped forward. The neighborhood was all “gung ho” about the project idea at the time. The neighborhood may have changed its tune since. That was roughly a generation ago after all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what is going to replace Macy’s at the Ballston Mall?

In 2022 Arlington County approved an apartment complex and a grocery store to go in, but two apartment complexes were just developed across the street along with a new Harris Teeter. Apartments and another grocery seem like overkill to me.

That Harris Teeter either already closed or is going to close.

The Ballston HT was redone in a new/adjacent location. It's quite new. (I hate it, but that's neither here nor there.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what is going to replace Macy’s at the Ballston Mall?

In 2022 Arlington County approved an apartment complex and a grocery store to go in, but two apartment complexes were just developed across the street along with a new Harris Teeter. Apartments and another grocery seem like overkill to me.

That Harris Teeter either already closed or is going to close.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what is going to replace Macy’s at the Ballston Mall?

In 2022 Arlington County approved an apartment complex and a grocery store to go in, but two apartment complexes were just developed across the street along with a new Harris Teeter. Apartments and another grocery seem like overkill to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I spend an enormous amount of time at the Caps ice rink at the top of Ballston Mall. Our kids are figure skaters and hockey players.

Arlington is missing a huge opportunity to capitalize on the money brought into this facility 365 days a year.

The Caps practice here. Those of us who are committed to the various ice sports have the incomes to support a variety of retail or entertainment options.

I’m at the rink now while my DC gets a private lesson. There is no where to get a coffee unless I walk several blocks to Starbucks.

Ballston needs some personality added to it and if this place is just condos, then they will miss a big opportunity to bring something to the entire community.

Agree with this. The anchor there is the ice rink and they need to start with the patrons of the rink and build the plan from there.

Sorry, a few parents of ice skaters isn't going to drive retail demand the way a thousand new residents will.

It’s the design of the place that does not draw people in (except maybe to the food hall below ground). If the owners of the mall hired the design team that created the wildly popular Rose and Pike retail and food destination in North Bethesda/Rockville, then Ballston Quarter would be booming. The wealthy demographics and high numbers of residents would support retail in Ballston.

Agree, it's a combo of the design and the quality of the retail. The shopping center doesn't relate at all to a walkable urban neighborhood. It's not a pedestrian friendly design and frankly it's just depressing.