Its gotten busy! The months just seem to run together now. I'm forgetting to start the new months updates! There has been a real influx of calls for people looking for spaces. Its a good time. However we have lost a few businesses to the whole virus thing. Hopefully we will gain some new and different businesses in the future.
The reason we can not get them is due to our lower population and the fact that somewhere around 60% of our workforce leaves the area. Wegmans depends on that lunchtime crowd. They have a large market cafe with quick service food. If no one is there to eat lunch they feel the area would not be right for them. If you look at our area restaurants you don't usually have any wait time to sit down. That's not good. Why would a restaurant come here when no one is eating lunch? Its very hard to just depend on dinner crowds.
Rock and Toss Crab House coming soon to the Shops at Waldorf in the former Genghis Grill space. It is a Cajun style sea food restaurant. No word on an opening date. They have another location currently in Bowie, MD
Speaking of the Shops at Waldorf, Panera is going to move over to their own stand alone building next to the Silver Diner. I believe they plan to have a drive thru as well. No word on when that move will take place.
In the Brandywine shopping area near Chadds ford has some construction going on. There will be a few more pad sites for individual stores and perhaps a small strip center.
Third Eye Comics now open in the Pinefield shopping center
10 comments:
Chris, I disagree with you about Wegman's assessment. More people would stay in the area for lunch if there were decent places to eat. We are sick and tire of fast food, same-old food and lame chain restaurants in the area. No more subs, no more burgers, no more junk food. We want fast "quality" foods. And yes, we can afford to pay a premium like Wegmans'. I and others drive to the nearest Wegman in Landover MD and/or Whole Foods in VA just for something better once per week, We and others would go more often if it wasn't for traffic issues and it being such an inconvenience to get back down Branch Ave in the afternoon hours. Why do these business don't think there's big money in southern marylland is beyond me. Where do they think these people work.. they work mostly in DC for Federal Government or VA technology companies or other big businesses earning upwards of over $90K or more annually.
The county needs to finally focus on taking steps to attract professional jobs. By having more professional jobs in county, more people will live and work in county and not have to commute, creating more of a demand for things that people want. While people may have the income to support these places, I can see why they would want more people to stay in county during the week to support them. However, someone at some point needs to take a chance. I think the most likely scenario would be the Waldorf Station development to be able to attract Harris Teeter finally. They have other SOMD locations, and I remember reading they wanted a higher density location with apartments here and that development should provide that. Looks like they redid their layout to accommodate a 35,000 square foot grocery store instead of a larger one and they seem to be the best fit.
Nice to see them filling up some spaces at Shops at Waldorf, but their anchor tenant space available is going to be real tough to fill. Panera moving is a good step in the right direction. However, their center still doesn't look great seeing as they half finished renovations. That never made sense to me.
Herman you would be surprised with the things these stores want in the area to come down here. One said we didn't have enough people with college diplomas. These are the things they are telling us. Little do they know we have more rocket scientists in Indian head than most other places in the world.
Yes Harris teeter should be here but no one will tell us why they skipped over Charles County.
Yes part of the county economic developments job is to attract the professional users to the area. I think many of our commuters could work from a satellite office in the Waldorf area.
It seems odd to have so many new lots developed while at the same time having so many existing vacant stores in the various locations. What is the general plan for these unused places (such as the old HH Gregg location) or the many locations in Brandywine Crossing?
Add to that Modells right next door to HH Gregg.
Well lets look at brandywine crossing. You want to go in a center where you are not seen by traffic going by and facing the wrong way or do you want to be in their face on your own individual pad?
These pad sites are owned by other groups so they dont care what happens to the other centers. If they are lucky they could pull some tenants out of those centers.
There is really no plan for the large boxes until someone has interest. Then they will decide if they want to cut them in half or something else. They wont spend a dime until that happens. Prince frederick cut up kmart when it had tenants lined up. Same with burlington in waldorf. Unfortunately there is less demand for big box stores.
When is the Dollar tree next to Aldi opening on crain hwy?
Chris,
Do you know the time frame for Arby's grand opening in Waldorf?
no opening dates have been listed yet.
Just passed the old Genghis Grill today. Looks like they are doing work in there for the next tenant.
Any news on the Velocity center up in Indian Head? I'd love to know more about it.
Thanks for all you do!
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