Why can't we get a Wegmans in Southern Maryland?

I posted this on my business Facebook page but I'm adding it here as well as a reference.

Every time someone asks please refer them to this post.  I'm trying to educate instead of watching rumors fly.  This is what they require:

Population Density:  "High number of residents surrounding the potential store.   Typical drivetime to store 20 minutes or less."

Charles County population estimate 2022: 170,000

Prince Georges population estimate 2022: 946,971

Workforce: "The store hires somewhere in the area of 500 people.

We operate a high-volume, low-price business; we require a lot of customers shopping in our stores to achieve the volume needed to be successful." 

Daytime Population: Wegmans has food bars and caters to lunchtime crowds.  Approx. 60% of Charles county workforce leaves the area for work pre covid.  Our current restaurants are not busy enough or staffed well enough.  Just because people work from home now does not mean it will stay that way forever.

Store Size:  "Typical Wegmans is 80,00 to 120,000 square feet and requires 15+ Acres."  They also only open 2-3 stores a year.  They are very picky.

These stores decide where they want to go.  Not us, not the county or the commissioners.  This is not build it and they will come.  You can ask them to come until you are blue in the face.  Give them all the marketing material.  They do their own calculations and research and make their own decisions.  

The same goes with Whole foods and Trader joes but they also require:

-household income in excess of $100,000

-200,000 people within a 20 minute drive

-Distribution centers closer to the new stores.

-They also would love a major university or large medical complex close by.

-Large number of college educated residents.

October 2023 Updates

Hello October!  The leaves are changing, the Halloween decorations and Christmas decorations start to clash in the stores.  Screaming ghosts and Christmas songs across the isle from each other. Its a great time!  I myself enjoy the kid friendly version of Halloween.  I was never a fan of the blood and gore and jump scare decor.  Hey that rhymes!  Anyway Its fun to take the kids to a busy neighborhood and trick or treat or trunk or treat at a local church.  Everyone in my neighborhood grew up and moved away so we go where the action is.  Don't know how much longer the kids will want go out so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.  I remember the Halloween parties at school where each kid brought a treat from home and dumped it on your paper plate and then we just got high on sugar and were sent home.  Good times.  I hope everyone has a safe Halloween this year and get lots of good stuff.  But not those plastic witch fingers.  I hate those.

Bad Axe Throwing Waldorf will have its grand opening on Saturday October 8th at the Waldorf Town Plaza.  1140A Smallwood Drive.

Aldi and Starbucks are your first tenants for the Pax River Village Center.  This is what's taking over the current Millison Plaza.  They hope to open late 2024.

The Farmhouse Cafe and Creperie will open in La Plata on October 11th at 5695 Washington Avenue.

Alpas Wellness Center had its open house today at 1014 Washington Avenue in La Plata. Alpas is a treatment center for behavioral health, substance abuse and other disorders. They will offer in and outpatient services and use traditional as well as alternative holistic approaches to mind and body healing. They plan to start taking patients by the end of the year. Pictures are on our facebook page.

At the corner of Billingsley Road and St. Charles Parkway will be a new shopping center called Fairway Village.  The anchor tenant will be a state of the art 63,000 sf Weis Market store like none we have seen in the county.  Its on point with the look of any high end grocery store and not a rebranded food lion like what we have currently in the area.  Along with Weis there will be several pad sites for restaurants and retail.  None that I can mention yet because they are still in negotiations. There will also be apartments on the site as well.  

I had added this on my Facebook page a while ago but didn't add it here so here you go.  Current construction in Pinefield on route 5 / Mattawoman Beantown Road. Proposed royal farms and small 9,300 sf retail strip. The remaining land is planned for 225 town homes, 300 apartments and assisted living facilities. This is all part of the Waldorf Station project. The rest of the main retail center near sonic will be built later as the western parkway expansion is completed. 

Bryans Road is getting an AutoZone near the corner of 210 and Marshall Hall Road at the Bryans Road Shopping Center.  Bids are out for construction.

Berry Pointe is a new 82 acre mixed use business park on Route 228 it will be mostly comprised of warehouse flex space.  There may be a small amount of retail and a few pad sites but the plans keep getting modified.  This is a large project that will be built as the demand is made.  This is being built on land that has been zoned business park for years so it isn't something that was not already in the counties master plans.  There is currently no inventory of available warehouse flex space so this will be a great addition to the area for local trade businesses, etc.

Chipotle in Charlotte Hall has changed their opening date to early December.  30030 Three Notch Road.