Bag Bill surcharge begins Jan 1st

Beginning January 1, 2010 the "bag bill" approved by DC Council and signed into law by Mayor Fenty signed into law earlier this year will go into effect. District businesses will charge customers five cents for every disposable paper or plastic carryout bag with the proceeds going to the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund. The bag fee will not apply to bags used for newspapers, produce, hardware, frozen foods, plants, bakery items or prescription drugs.

A portion of the revenue raised from the bill will go towards education and providing reusable bags to low-income residents. A Skip the Bag, Save the River campaign is distributing 250,000 free reusable bags this month at locations around the district.


I anticipate some customers will arrive at the check out register in January unaware of this change. Hopefully those who are surprised by the surcharge don't shoot the messenger. The cashiers didn't pass the bill or design the awareness program. Nonetheless as a former bagger during my mid-teens I expect short term pain during the transition and for cashiers to take the brunt of it.

Happy Birthday City Vista Safeway!

by KimFromTheK

Can you believe that it's been one year since the Safeway at 5th and L opened?

Sure, there have been restocking issues, and I've found that the self checkouts always have at least one terminal out-of-order. The promise of a gourmet prepared foods section doesn't really live up to the hype. The nut bar faced its fair share of jokes, and there may have been some misguidance in assigning aisles (the narrow beer/dairy aisle is a complete mess!). Yelpers are split in positive and negative reviews as well.

While this location still has a few kinks to work out, anything is an improvement to the Shaw Giant, in my opinion.

By the way, we've speculated over the nickname for this Safeway outpost but I don't think we've come to a decision--will it really wind up being the Sexy Safeway? I guess only time will tell...

Editor's note: While I almost always walk to the Safeway I did drive there four times over this first calendar year despite my condo being < 2 blocks away. How many of you that live within a few short blocks confess to driving more often than walking?

Downtown Neighborhood Survey Report

The report from the Second Annual Downtown Neighborhood Survey has been published on the Downtown BID website.

The 2008 Survey was noteworthy on two fronts from the Triangle perspective. The boundaries of the survey area extended beyond the Downtown BID north of Mass to include the Mount Vernon Triangle and the majority of the Mount Vernon Square neighborhoods. Additionally, the presence of the new Safeway at City Vista generated a dramatically different distribution of responses to all the grocery related questions.

Report excerpt:

Of the 1057 respondents, 526 were residents.* The results of the 2008 survey validate most of the findings of the 2007 survey, but the opening of the Safeway in the City Vista project has resulted in some major differences. For instance:

• The percentage of Downtown residents that shop for groceries Downtown grew from 10% to 56%
• residents traveling to Virginia for groceries dropped from 41% to 16%

The 2008 and 2007 surveys both suggest that Downtown BID area residents are young, well educated and earn high household incomes. Also, according to both surveys the buying preferences of residents indicates an unmet demand for shoppers’ goods retail.

Charts courtesy of downtowndc.org.

Obama "wax replica" at City Vista Safeway tonight

Picking up a news item from the Lifein MVSNA blog, City Vista Safeway will be hosting the Barack Obama wax replica tonight.

Tonight from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the City Vista Safeway will be hosting the Madame Tussauds life-like wax replica of President-elect Obama. They are inviting all neighbors to stop by the store tonight (1/16/2009) and have your picture taken standing next to our next President.

[image: zimbio.com]

Safeway, Shuttles and taking back the Libraries

Mount Vernon Square: Lifein MVSNA readers vent about the City Vista Safeway

H Street NE: Frozen Tropics reports that a new H Street shuttle service starts this month. The free shuttle will run between the Gallery Place station and the Minnesota Ave station each evening from 5pm until the Metro closes. Readers comment that the free nature of the shuttle could attract too much volume from the X2 line.

Citywide: WaPo's Raw Fisher reports on new policies aimed to discourage homeless encampment in our libraries. New rules will prohibit sleeping in the libraries or carrying more than two bags into the branches.

Grocery options

PQLiving tells us Balducci’s Really, Really NOT Coming To PQ, Really!

I know that some in lower PQ still prefer to have a closer option that the City Vista Safeway. Others just want more niche items and prepared foods. So far I shop primarily at the new Safeway but still make 1 or 2 small trips to Harris Teeter a month specifically to shop from their prepared foods selection. So I will be excited when the new Harris Teeter in at Constitution Square in NOMA opens in two years. The possibility of a Wegman's in Hilleast (near RFK) sounds good too!

How many of you are shopping for Groceries exclusively at the Safeway?

Safeway: How much did you save?

This weekend our brand new Safeway has been offering deep discounts on selected items and 10% off orders of $50 or more with use of a Club Card. How much have you saved?

I haven't even dipped into my coupon book, didn't buy any big ticket meat items, didn't take the free dozen eggs, yet I saved $44 (28%).

Elsewhere on the blogosphere:
Q Street News says "Look! It's a REAL GROCERY STORE in DC!!" and Renew Shaw says "Safeway Amazes!"

WUSA9: Safeway Competes For High End Customers In New Downtown Store

A brief article by reporter Scott Broom accompanies this video:

Fenty cuts ribbon at Safeway

Those are some big scissors:

Photo includes officials from Safeway, Lowe Enterprises, Mayor Adrian Fenty, Deputy Major Neil Albert and ANC6C01 commissioner Keith Silver

Some protesters for the Franklin Shelter tried to interrupt the press conference. We've recapped news about the Franklin closing back in May.

UPDATE (9/12/2008 6pm): DCMud covers Fenty's visit with "Safeway Opening brings commerce to Mount Vernon Triangle".

First impressions of the City Vista Safeway

First impression of the new Safeway: Outstanding

Check out the Flickr set, read the Yelp Reviews, PQLiving's writeup, and, most of all SHOP, as the promotional sales are amazing right now.


I'm a little too burnt out to write a master piece review right now. So I'll just run off some facts on the Safeway.

• Largest Produce area in the Safeway's eastern division including exotic fruit.
  
• Will receive new fresh deliveries 7 days a week
  
• Store has a full-service scratch bakery. You can special order breads shaped like crabs and gators. =)
  
• Two aisles of wine and a full-time wine steward
  
• Safeway's first full-service nut bar
  
• Prepared foods including hot foods, sushi, olive bar, soup, etc..
  
• Meat department will marinate your meat upon request - free of charge
  
• 6 Self Check out stations
  
• Floral department with balloon station
  
• Starbucks and Bergmann's cleaners
  
• Special shopping carts for parents with kids that are equipped with videos
  
• Standard shopping carts have wheels that lock if you try to remove them from premises
  
• Coinmaster (also Lotto eventually)
  
• Management has an extensive secret shopper program to evaluate employees.
  
• Access to underground parking via escalator and elevators
  
• Store hours will be 5AM to Midnight
  
• Store will employ 150 almost exclusively from Zipcode 20001 and adjacent ZIPs

Safeway Flickr Stream

Click on the Thumbnail image below to be directed to the Flickr set.


The slideshow is also a convenient way to view the set.

WaPo: Gourmet Safeway Opening Downtown

Today's Washingtonpost includes an article entitled Gourmet Safeway Opening Downtown.

Some quotes:

"No retailer ever wants to be first," said Bill McLeod, executive director of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District. "Safeway is going to be such a huge traffic generator that it's going to signal to other retailers that this is a great neighborhood."

The once blighted area is slowly attracting new retailers. Locally owned Fifth Street Hardware opened this summer, and popular bar and coffee house Busboys and & Poets is expected to open within two months, McLeod said. The neighborhood hopes to attract more retail and restaurants, though McLeod said development has slowed with the economic downturn.

Safeway pre-Opening on Thursday

Earlier today Safeway had a VIP event with executives flying in from California. On Thursday there is a RSVP tour with the district manager at 2pm. A pre-opening for the public begins at 4pm and ends at 8pm. The grand opening will be Friday at 8am and Mayor Fenty will arrive at noon for a ribbon cutting.

I'll be attending the 2pm tour and plan to take plenty of photos. I'll create a flickr stream and post them Thursday evening.

UPDATE (9/11/2008 10:35am) - PQLiving attended yesterday's VIP event and has some photos and impressions.

MVT CID press release on Safeway

The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (MVT CID) issued a press release today on the new Safeway opening on Friday September 12th. The City Vista Safeway is store number 2737 and has an official address of 490 L Street NW.

excerpt:

The CityVista Safeway will include some of the company’s latest features such as the first Safeway in the city equipped with a nut bar, wine cellar, and an open-flame hearth oven within the full-service scratch bakery. The hearth oven, where Artisan breads will be baked fresh daily, will be the focal point for the full-service bakery with the nut bar offering a wide selection of warm, ready-to-eat nuts that can be flavored or ground on site to create spreads and peanut butter.

Customers will be able to enjoy the new amenities found in many Safeway stores, such as a Starbucks Coffee bar and Bergmann’s Dry Cleaners, along with the more traditional offerings of a pharmacy, full-service deli, meat counter, floral shop and seafood department.

We reported last week that the store hours will be 5AM-midnight and that Mayor Fenty will attend the ribbon cutting at noon on the day of the grand opening.

WBJ: Safeway's turf battle

Washington Business Journal reporter Jonathan O'Connell writes about what the City Vista Safeway opening signifies for the grocer in the district. He also discusses some of the same talking points in this video below.

Safeway Update

As previously reported, new Safeway Supermarket at 5th and L Streets NW is set to have it's grand opening next Friday, September 12th at 8 am.


I've learned that Mayor Fenty will attend a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon on the 12th. I've also heard that the hours for the store are planned to be 5AM to midnight.

Photo from flickr user niello8

Community Meeting on Crime Surge with Assistant Chief Groomes

From DNA president Miles Groves:

Dear Downtown Neighbors,

There has been a recent surge in robberies on 5th Street north of Massachusetts Avenue to K Street NW and along the Chinatown section of I Street NW. Tomorrow night their will be a community meeting held at the Chinatown Community Cultural Center. Assistant Chief Diane Grooms will address the surge of robberies. The meeting will begin at 7PM and end at 8PM. For more information, visit this link:

http://www.ccccdc.org/templates/content.asp?articleid=380&zoneid=12

Thanks,

Miles E. Groves
Downtown Neighborhood Association

I won't be able to attend, but if someone does and would be willing to share a recap that would be great. I think most of us are interested in what MPD will do to further promote safety along 5th Street after the Safeway opens.

MVT CID: Bill McLeod on the Mount Vernon Triangle

Recently The Triangle had the opportunity to interview through the email format the Executive Director of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District. We chatted with Bill McLeod about issues ranging from basic daily functions of the CID to the future plans for this community. In the process we gained a greater understanding of what the CID has influence in and what solutions are steered by the market (developers) or D.C. government agencies.

What does the CID do?

The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District operates programs that promote a cleaner and safer neighborhood. MVTCID also raises public awareness about the Triangle through its website, broadcast emails, quarterly newsletters, press releases, and neighborhood events.

<The Triangle’s Clean Team works seven hours a day, seven days a week, between 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. They keep the neighborhood looking great by picking up hundreds of pound of trash each day. And, they provide an added benefit through outreach to those in need from the community.

In August 2007, MVTCID started safety services by hiring a Metropolitan Police Department officer (through Reimbursable Detail) Friday and Saturday nights from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. In the spring, we were awarded a grant to double the police on Friday and Saturday nights – to two officers.

We recently launched three committees: Property Managers Committee, Jobs Committee, and Marketing Committee. The Property Managers Committee focuses on several issues, such as building construction, streetscape timelines, homelessness, safety, security, and other matters of interest to our property managers, business owners, and building owners.

The Jobs Committee organized two job-training fairs for residents in the immediate community looking for employment training, and we hope to host another job-training fair in the autumn. And, the committee works closely with life-skills training organizations, such as Strive DC, to assist people with resume building and interview skills.

The Marketing Committee was formed to implement strategies to promote the neighborhood, including updating the website, branding the neighborhood, and planning community activities. This year, the website was restructured, adding pages that tell the story of the neighborhood, and we updated the development map to include retail listings. Two park clean-up events were organized in partnership with the National Park Service and two walking tours were given through Walking Town DC. In June, we organized a bike ride with police officers, and this August, we will have a dog walk with MPD.


Tell us about your background. How did your past experience as Executive Director of Barracks Row Main Street prepare you for this job? Are the challenges of the job similar or mostly different?

That is a loaded question. In college I studies Social Sciences with a concentration in Sociology. I worked for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center for seven years before moving to Barracks Row Main Street, where I works for 4.5 years. In December 2006, I switched jobs and came to Mount Vernon Triangle CID because I knew the neighborhood well since I lived at 5th and R in 1991-2. The development of the neighborhood has been amazing.

My experience with Barracks Row Main Street totally prepared me for this job. But there are two major differences: as a BID, funding is secure, so I don’t spend nearly as much time fundraising, and we have very few volunteers since the neighborhood is not very well populated yet. I still do grant writing here and volunteer recruitment, but I’ll be ramping that up in the next year.

The challenges are similar in Mount Vernon Triangle as Barracks Row. Mount Vernon Triangle had few buildings, and Barracks Row had lots of old buildings but most of them we empty or occupied by marginal businesses.


The area is facing a potentially massive influx of new residents in the coming year. How do you see these residents fitting into the community? What are some of the most important ways for new residents to become involved in the community? And conversely, is the community doing anything to welcome or attract new residents? What concerns do you have about this influx of new residents?

I love density! New residents mean more active streets, better-used parks, more eyes on the street, and more dollars to support retail. It is a win-win all the way around – more people using facilities creating a cleaner and safer neighborhood.

There are several ways a resident can get involved. MVTCID has committees where volunteers can direct their energy: Marketing Committee, and Jobs Committee. And it time, we will add more. Plus we have neighborhood clean-ups and safety events throughout the year. And, for those really involved in the CID, we are always looking for stalwart board members.

We don’t “attract new residents” directly. I think that is best left to the developers and sales teams from the condos. But, I like to think we are marketing indirectly through our website, articles in the paper, and events like WalkingTown DC.


Papa John's, 5th Street Ace Hardware and the Results Gym Sales office have recently opened. Is there any word of unofficial ETAs for the Safeway, Busboy and Poets or Ledo's? After these businesses deliver what is next horizon? [Ed note: This question was asked prior to Safeway hanging up their banner]

Yes, Safeway is planning to open September 12, and Busboys & Poets and Results are hoping to open around that time too. Having worked with retailers for a number of years now, I know that opening dates seem to slide, especially when DCRA inspections are required. Ledo’s has not been working on its building for a while, which makes me worried. Don’t know what is going on since the owner has not been in contact with me for six months. Once the retail in City Vista opens, there will be a few retail spaces left, and we hope we can identify some local businesses to fill those slots.

455 Mass has a restaurant space, and they were talking to Lawry’s Steak House, but that deal fell through. But another restaurant is in the works. Also, I heard a UPS store is going into 455 Mass, but the sign has come down for some reason.


Have there been any recent updates on development that has yet to break ground such as Mount Vernon/Carmel Place, Steuart Investment's parcels or Bozzuto's 460 New York Ave? Has the recent softening of the real estate market changed development plans for the area or simply shifted out the time horizon?

Developers keep their business very close to the vest, so I am not privy-ed to that information. But, I suspect the softening of the housing market and now the mortgage crisis has contributed to the delay of some groundbreakings. As far as I understand it, no deals have fallen through – just longer timelines.


The Best & Final Offer date for the 5th and Eye RFP has been pushed back a couple times and is presently August 18th. What has been the CID's involvement on this process to-date? What future involvement would take place after the city awards the site?

As a BID, we are precluded from commenting on land use. I’ve gone to several meetings about the site but kept silent. Whatever developer is selected, I’m sure it will be great because it will add density to the neighborhood, and I liked all of the top four choices. We would like to see public art included in whatever is built since it is a gateway site into Mount Vernon Triangle. And, we want all buildings to be good neighbors – whether commercial or residential. So whatever developer is selected, I want them to understand that Mount Vernon Triangle will be primarily a residential neighborhood – so no loud music, build with double paned windows, etc.


The Mount Vernon Triangle Action Agenda outlined a vision for a vibrant mixed use community. A solid foundation of residential buildings has delivered in the last year. But the office component, especially on K Street, is needed to realize the goal of being an 18-hour community. One can't help but notice that the NoMA and Capitol Riverfront BIDs are poised to add a combined 25 million s.f. of office space to the city and have landed major tenants like the ATF, DOJ, DOT and NPR. How does the MVT CID meet the goal to add offices/tenants to our community in this competitive market?

The DC office market is still strong, and Mount Vernon Triangle is situated very well – on the east end of downtown. Location, location, location – are our three advantages over SW, NoMa, or the Capitol Riverfront. New office space will open on K Street and it will be great! Think of K Street on the west side of Mount Vernon Square as our vision for what will be built on the east side – only better with more retailers and cafes and fewer offices on the first floor.


The final report for the Mount Vernon Triangle Transportation and Public Realm Design Project included several recommendations for improving transportation in the Triangle. These included bike racks, bicycle lanes, redesigning New Jersey Ave, L Street and a segment of 4th Street as two-way streets before 2010. L Street has undergone its transformation. Any word on the other plans? Bike racks at City Vista would seem appropriate.

Streetscaping is a big-ticket item, and we have been working behind the scenes with DDOT, Councilmember Tommy Wells, and Councilmember Jack Evans to fund the streets and sidewalks plan in the Public Realm Study (rendering). L Street is basically done, and 4th Street will return to two-way traffic in DC’s FY09 budget. Next up will be to return NJ Avenue back to two way traffic and then new streets and sidewalks for all of K Street. Bike racks are easy in comparison and should be going in at City Vista shortly.


Economic development in the Triangle is geared around new high-rise construction, which requires a long development cycle to build. Unlike 14th Street NW or H Street NE our streets lack a stock of vacant commercial spaces to tap into on a shorter cycle via renovation. With no construction currently underway nor any new construction slated to break ground until 2009 our growth may pause after the retail at City Vista delivers. How can we work around this limitation? What tools are at our disposal?

Sadly, you are correct. There are very few old buildings remaining in Mount Vernon Triangle – partly because of the MLK riots, partly because of the urban renewal plan for Lower Shaw, and partly because of demolition by neglect and the construction of the 395 Freeway in 1962. Nevertheless, both the lack of vacant buildings and the lack of construction sites does affect the economic potential in the short term. To work around this limitation, some people have suggested adding street vendors, which I’m not convinced is ideal because of the state of street vending in DC. Others have suggested a weekly market – like the Georgetown Antiques Market. Sadly, they are not willing to move from their current home in Clarendon. Personally, I am banking on the success of Safeway to spur further development as the neighborhood is transformed by new residents, office workers, and visitors from all parts of the city.

A big thanks to Bill for participating in this chat with us. We hope to have more in the future.

Inspiration for this post was from DCMud's interview with Michael Stevens.

Safeway opening September 12th

Hat tip to richard.

Safeway Construction Update

I peeked in a few of the windows at City Vista Safeway to gauge the construction progress. I could see that the signs above the Meat & Seafoods counter, Customer Service booth and Cafe Seating have been hung. Encouraging that the exposed cinder block I saw 3 weeks ago seems to be covered now. Many of the produce shelves are in place. I'm not sure if the flooring is complete and covered in dust or if it is yet to be installed.

Please forgive the glare in the photo below as I took it through thick glass.


I had read in a few places the Safeway would open in September. I still have some doubts on this. The construction seems like it could potentially be completed in that timeframe. However stocking shelves and training employees (unless training has begun offsite) would add 3 or more weeks - right?