From the Mayor’s Office:
“Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced the signing of the lease for Walmart at the Skyland Town Center at the intersection of Good Hope Road, Naylor Road, and Alabama Avenue SE in Ward 7. The lease signing secures the nation’s largest retailer to anchor the long-awaited project that also will feature neighborhood retailers, restaurants and residential units.
“I want to thank our development partners, Rappaport and W.C. Smith, as well as Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Jeff Miller for working tirelessly to ensure this final piece needed to begin construction of Skyland Town Center was completed,” said Mayor Gray. “I am delighted that Walmart has committed to opening a store in a neighborhood that has been underserved for too long.”
More than a decade ago, the District embarked on a path to acquire and revitalize the blighted Skyland Shopping Center, which for years was poorly operated and never met the retail needs of the residents of Wards 7 and 8. With more than 40 parcels to acquire spread out over 15 different property owners and 29 different tenants, residents had little luck with their efforts to coordinate redevelopment of the shopping center on their own.
In 2002, the District, through the National Capital Revitalization Corporation, intervened and began its acquisition of the Skyland site. The Gray Administration worked to clear all legal issues and resolve all tenant-relocation concerns. Mayor Gray, city officials and members of the development teams held a ceremonial groundbreaking event at Skyland to highlight the start of construction work in March. To date, more than 90 percent of the site has been demolished. The District has invested approximately $40 million in the project for the purposes of acquisition, tenant relocation, property management and legal fees.”
