Wegmans, Shmegmans – Whole Foods Now Coming to The Parks at Walter Reed

Rendering via Hines

Das ist riesig, c’est énorme, esto es enorme – THIS IS HUGE!!

“The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle.” ―Anais Nin

Boom. Back in 2016 this space was, briefly, planned for a Wegmans grocery store. North Country – get your dancing shoes! From a press release:

“Whole Foods Market has signed a 40,000-square-foot lease to anchor the Hartley at the Parks at Walter Reed, a 3.1 million-square-foot master-planned community from Hines, Urban Atlantic, and Triden Development Group. The leading natural and organic grocer is among the latest signature additions to the dynamic transformation of the former Walter Reed medical campus, the largest site under development in Northwest Washington, D.C.

Construction on The Hartley is expected to begin in early 2020 with completion of the project in early 2022.

The Hartley will be the third new construction phase to commence on site, with The Brooks – 89 elegantly appointed condominium residences (www.thebrooksdc.com) and the Vale – 301 apartments and 18,000 square feet of retail, currently underway. Designed with 323 rental units, including 32 affordable units, and 58,000 square feet of retail, The Hartley is the centerpiece of the vibrant Town Center, which will feature 100,000 square feet of dining, shopping, and entertainment around an active plaza fronting Georgia Avenue.

Scott Allshouse, Whole Foods Market’s Mid-Atlantic Regional President, said, “We’re proud to be part of The Parks at Walter Reed, a development that shares many of Whole Foods Market’s values – community, environmental stewardship, quality, and partnership. We look forward to joining this vibrant community and expanding our presence in the D.C. area.”

“We are pleased to welcome Whole Foods Market to this transformative project. Whole Foods Market will be a key addition to the Parks development in one of Washington, D.C.’s best neighborhoods,” said Hines Senior Managing Director Chuck Watters.

Torti Gallas Urban is the architect for The Hartley with interior design by Hickok Cole Lifestyle and landscape design by Oehme van Sweden. Retail broker CBRE+Streetsense is engaged for the Parks retail leasing.

“The Ward 4 community is excited that the Parks at Walter Reed has secured Whole Foods Market as an anchor for the town center. We look forward to the development of this project and the new retail and amenities it brings to neighborhood residents,” said Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd.

“Since the community began planning the Walter Reed project, our focus has always been on how to reimagine this historic space so that it meets the needs of the neighborhood and city,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Already, the campus is home to a firehouse, schools, as well as housing for seniors and formerly homeless veterans. With so much more on the way, the addition of Whole Foods Market is one more way this development is creating jobs and opportunities for our residents and helping us transform the Walter Reed campus into a community that works for DC.”

About The Parks at Walter Reed

Once complete, 66-acre redevelopment of The Parks at Walter Reed will include over 3.1 million square feet of new construction and adaptive reuse of existing historic structures. This once closed-off Upper Northwest historic military medical campus will be transformed into an innovative and inspiring new destination featuring a broad mix of open green parks, recreation, arts, hospitality, 130,000 square feet of grocery-anchored retail, over 2,100 units of townhomes, condos and apartments (including 432 affordable units), office, ambulatory care by Howard University, and two foreign language immersion charter schools (DCI and LAMB). The Parks is immediately adjacent to both the new Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus and the U.S. State Department’s new Foreign Mission Center, flanked by commuter corridors and public transportation. All less than five miles from downtown D.C., The Parks is a convenient destination with uptown charm.”