Redevelopment under consideration for Annandale Kmart
Negotiations are under way to redevelop the Kmart property in
Annandale with a mixed-use project, most likely consisting of apartments with
retail on the ground floor. The discussions involve Sears Holding Corp., the parent
company of Kmart and Sears; Amerikor Investment Group, the Maryland-based company that
owns the Kmart shopping center; and the office of Mason Supervisor Penny Gross.
Annandale with a mixed-use project, most likely consisting of apartments with
retail on the ground floor. The discussions involve Sears Holding Corp., the parent
company of Kmart and Sears; Amerikor Investment Group, the Maryland-based company that
owns the Kmart shopping center; and the office of Mason Supervisor Penny Gross.
Sears Holding is nearly out of cash and has been steadily
closing stores over the past couple of years, including 46 Kmarts in the last
quarter of 2014, CNN reports. More store closures are expected in 2015,
although a representative of American Proffers doesn’t think the Annandale store
would be one of them.
The Annandale Kmart, on John Marr Drive, used to be one of the most profitable
Kmarts in the United States. It hasa 30-year lease, which a developer would have to buy out.
Kmarts in the United States. It hasa 30-year lease, which a developer would have to buy out.
63 responses to “Redevelopment under consideration for Annandale Kmart”
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sigh. I wish a Super Target would come in there instead!!
No, we need a new bowling alley to replace the one being torn down. Sigh.
How about where the former Blooms supermarket used to be? That building has been vacant for a long time.
Is it possible it's not going to be another Walmart. The Kmart that was in Springfield is going to be Wamart.
Maybe something with a lttle class? Annandale ain't Bethesda, but Silverado needs some competition…
I agree. This would be the perfect location for a new Safari Inn. Best goat meat in NOVA.
I would love to see a town center type of area with nice restaurants.
Yes, please! We need to spruce things up!
I wish rich people would pull their heads out of their behind and realize the poor of Annandale don't have many options for shopping beyond a 30 min drive to a walmart, or target. It'd be more profitable to offer something for everyone rather than specialty stores only for the rich, who have everything already.
There are 3 targets within 20 minutes of my house. Skyline, Falls Church, and Mosaic. Quite enough, I think.
Ditto
"1/28/15 7:11PM" You do realize the "poor of Annandale" are served: (1) By the Super Goodwill near the Jukebox diner and the SuperKmart; (2) The Super Salvation Army center which draws customers from throughout the DC area and was recently the subject of a glowing review in the Washington Post; and (3) in addition to these chain operations, the "poor of Annandale" have Annandale's very own locally operated Treasure Trove consignments.
The truth is you have your head in your behind rather than the "rich" or "the 1%" you denounce.
+1
Let's upscale the K-mart. Maybe a Super K-Mart.
I hope they leave the Jukebox diner alone. I like it!
Mixed use districts are great, but they always end up being kind of soulless.
They can leave the sign "Big K" and fill it with a bunch of Korean shops. It can be like Eden Center.
I think it should be TitleMax's new corporate headquarters.
NO MORE APARTMENTS!!
"1/29/15 9:28AM" Very impressed by your use of all upper case. Not.
Very impressed with your attempt at sarcasm. not.
Then why copy it?
As you know, imitation is the most sincerest form of flattery.
Except maybe you didn't know, but now you do.
Your welcome.
this is getting so meta
Walmart is salivating for this shopping center.
I'd be thrilled to see that. However, I suspect they'd be put off by all the obstacles the cause heads would put in their way.
Honestly, I don't really care what they put there (ok, please not a Wal-mart) but the whole block just seems so run-down and sketchy, I'm really happy to hear that they are going to do *something*!
Does anyone here remember when Annandale had (at least) three (3) movie theaters?
Does Annandale need a movie theater?
Annandale Theater (near Kmart), Bradlick, and Roth's Americana in Heritage Mall. Unless it is a megaplex with restaurants it will not work.
Why not put the East County Government Center there?
Give Willston campus back to the schools and the children.
Purchasing commercially zoned property would be exorbitantly expensive. The County already owns the Willston property, so it's the logical place to put the ECOB. The ECOB also has a shelter attached to it which would attract a storm of protest from the Annandale NIMBY's.
"1/29/15 11:27PM" Thank you for your fact-based common sense response.
Concerning the East County Government Center, I don't agree that purchasing commercially zoned property would be exorbitantly expensive. By way of example, the office building at 5600 Columbia Pike which is the subject of a recent Annandale Blog article has an assessed value of approximately $20M (land and building). By way of further example, the building in Annandale on Little River Turnpike that currently hosts Human Services has an assessed value, (land and building) of even less. The stated budget for the new East County Government Center is $120M. I believe it makes better economic sense to purchase and renovate an existing building and then use the left over money to construct a new high quality school with real athletic fields.
That's the kind of "fact-based common sense response" that clearly exposes Gross's tiresome narrative for what it is: Obfustating cover and distraction to advance her ego palace and developer financial interests.
Dear "1/30/15 2:55 PM" with that sort of over the top language you have the "Occupy" vote in Mason District locked up.
Are you planning a run against Penny in the primary?
Or do you expect to hitch on to a groundswell of support from all the Tea Partiers in Mason District against a possible office building so early in the planning process an actual proposal has not been presented yet, let alone even one vote taken among the many votes that would need to be taken before the building you like to call an "ego palace" (Silly, yes, calling a building that would house public services including a homeless shelter a "palace" is silly) could be built?
I like "Penny's Palace." 125 million dollars. On a school site.
If Gross stays true to form, no one will see a proposal until it's too late to do anything about it.
Your a joke. The East County Office Building does not get built without the support of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
You have a sick obsession with Penny Gross. Get help.
Costco or Whole foods is needed within the east beltway
We had a Whole Foods at the corner of Braddock and 236, it is now a Staples. Whole Foods would be perfect in the old Bloom location, but Annandale demographics don't fit the Whole Foods model. Now a Wegman's would be perfect.
The owner of the property is seeking permission to rezone it so the land can be used for a residential purposes in addition to the retail. If it turns out like the planning be done for the SEARS and Seven Corners area, we will see very little left in the way of retail offerings and end up with a plan for an abundance of apartments — definitely not the vision the community had in mind for the redevelopment of that commercial center.
This is another one of those rare opportunities that will leave a permanent mark on Annandale’s central business districts future.
What would probably do well and be welcomed: Wegmans. Wholefoods, Thought out mixed use with planned parking and transportation with community design esthetics. Maybe something that was designed by an urban planner.
What we will probably get: Another Payday Loan site – Another Freaking Thrift store. A larger Gas station with a mini mart and a combination taco bell /pizza hut. Safari Inn lounge II- another one story non-descript building… or most likely, something short term and ugly, like a condo / apartment complex that’s cheaply made and planned by a bank.
Everyone seems to be having a cow about the school crowding situation and it is a definitely a concern. But we can handle both development and school crowding provided BOS gets off its collective arse and invests in the community. There are plans for revitalizing Bailey’s that basically, with the help of developers, rebuilds large parts of the area. In fact, next to the Moncure/Columbia Pike development there is proposal to realign Seminary Road to meet Columbia Pike directly while rebuilding the area with all the Fix-A-Wreck shops on Center Lane. The plan already includes green space by the old hanger for parks and such. It seems the plan can easily be adjusted for a new school. As it is the implementation of plan is overdue, the county needs to do its part to build the appropriate roads and schools that will enable development which in turn brings much needed revenue to the county. Having emigrated from a country where infrastructure and development is always a couple of decades behind I love the out with the old, in with the new that development brings.
TomS
Concerning the Moncure/Columbia site: The BOS is clearly off its arse and up those of the developers.
One only need observe the frantic Bulova/Gross "streetcar" manuevers in defense of Avalon Bay and Atlantic Properties while fending off a community increasingly aware and angered by shady backroom tactics.
I generally don't have issues with Moncure/Columbia Pike development. It's desperately needed but at the same time I understand those raising concerns about school crowding and that a school at Moncure is not the solution.
Yes TomS I agree with you.
How about a school at Williston, a community center on the existing 8 acre mason site on Columbia Pike, and some mix use at Moncure?
That area has also been suggested as the potential new location for the soon to be homeless bailey's homeless shelter.
This is a perfect opportunity for Annandale to revitalize part of the local scenery and ambiance. We have plenty of shops for low income folks in the area and upscale shopping not too far afield. Dining options are numerous, provided you like international fare. What we need is something to set us apart from Springfield and Falls Church; shops and housing aren't going to provide that. A quality theater or cinema would be a nice addition. If I had my way, I'd install the Annandale Cultural Center. Our area has history dating back to the Civil War and Earlier. We are a melting pot of culture. Why not leverage those into an asset? Schools could do plays, local culture groups could do performances that don't require re-purposing less than suitable locations. Let us do something to improve the town, not just throw in another place to buy stuff we can just order online anyway. I'm sure the argument will be made Annandale does not have the funds for that, which is true, residents will need to chip in. Over the years our town has become less of a cohesive community, let's buck that trend and show our neighbors that Annadale has the chops to be a regional leader in the 21st century
There's no way that sort of thing will pay for itself, little likelihood that "residents will chip in," and I don't see how a perky little community center will take us into the 21rst century in the first place. Total daydream.
*Nice* shops and *a little* bit of *nice* housing might breathe new life into the area, but I doubt that's going to materialize, either.
A cultural center may or may not fly, but the idea of something cohesive/noncommercial for the town is an interesting idea and could be included in plans for the site. I bet a historical society/center could be maintained by volunteers. Me, for one.
Wal-mart would be ok. Wish Aldis would consider the old Bloom space. Would really like to see a developer buy the Kmart strip, the strip and Chatelain Village across Columbia Pike, and do a mega project with townhouses and improved town center type retail.
Aldi is coming to the old Fisher Hardware location in Springfield. I don't get why Bloom sits empty.
Id like to see a Trader's Joe there. I know there is a Trader's Joe in Springfield and one in Bailey's but they are ridiculously busy.
One word: Demographics.
The only demographics we have left for this location are white vans, little brown people, drag queens and Korean gangs. A Kmart is the most appropriate use for this site.
Don't forget racist weirdos like yourself. You must be a real hit at parties.
Adam you must be the drag queen, i bet you are a hit in that get up.
Yep, you got me. Now don't you have a Confederate flag to hoist?
Yes but I think it would be better if we outfit you in it for your next drag performance in "gone with the wind"
This is actually a hilariously awesome idea. Gone with the Wind, all in drag, with absolutely ridiculous costumes.
No metro, no street car, no good transit options = no good development.
Best we can hope for is a quality, "enhanced bus" system on some of the major roads such as rt. 7, rt.50, rt. 236 and Columbia Pike.
That would probably put Annandale back on the map!
Every piece of property looks like an apartment building with retail on the bottom floor to our county supervisors. They feel the need to provide housing for everyone who wants to live in Fairfax County while the density of people to land grows too large. They put in the shops (which probably won't do well and will be vacant most of the time) to assuage the rest of us. That would be a beautiful site for a more upscale mini mall or a large store. Please — no more apartments.
Rents in our area are high, which reflects strong demand for apartments. That means more apartments will be built.
Responsible planning is needed to ensure there are adequate transportation and public facilities (especially schools) to handle the added demands created by more apartments.
Mason District's most difficult challenge is transportation planning.
Transportation planning for Mason District is very difficult because it is bordered by three independent jurisdictions – Arlington County and the Cities of Alexandria and Falls Church – and Mason District's main thoroughfares – such as Leesburg Pike, Little River Turnpike, Columbia Pike, and Arlington Blvd. – run through these independent jurisdictions.
I have read comments on this blog applauding the citizens of Arlington County for killing the Streetcar project as if it should be a model for the citizens of Mason District.
However, the termination of the Streetcar project resulted in a lot of wasted time, money, and effort in transportation planning for Mason District; and highlighted the challenges facing Mason District.