Is a Gap Opening on Capitol Hill?
Many neighborhoods in the District tend to go through a rather predictable routine. They start as fringe areas, slowly attract residents and business owners looking for good deals on housing and commercial properties, see an influx of newcomers as word spreads, and soon become the city's next hot destination. And throughout the process the usual conflicts tend to emerge -- between old and new residents, between local and national businesses. Yesterday the rather tranquil Barracks Row area on Capitol Hill became the next scene for such conflicts.
The Washington Business Journal reported yesterday that one investment firm has been eying properties along the Eighth Street SE corridor for national chains such as The Gap, J. Crew, Ann Taylor and American Apparel -- and pushing out Alvear Studio Design & Imports, a local art, furniture and design store. That news did not sit will with Julie Olson, the local ANC commissioner. She fired off a letter that was posted on a neighborhood listserv, writing:
Speaking as an ANC Commissioner for the west side of 8th street, and as the current Chair of ANC 6B, and as a nearby resident to Barracks Row for over 13 years, I am astounded that anyone would want to make our lovely little neighborhood into a souless Georgetown with a Gap or J. Crew. This is EXACTLY what we DON'T want in this neighborhood...We need to keep the original and unique quality of our beloved Main Street, with unique shopping experiences, and not put in big box retailers, and I can guarantee you will find the neighborhood up in arms if that happens.
Of course, not the whole neighborhood agreed. One resident replied:
Have you lost your mind?! You don't speak for me or for any of my friends or neighbors. Please don't assume that any of us wish share your quixotic attempt to keep a growing area confined to niche shops.Another added:
You like the dollar store and that's fine, but don't pretend that you speak on behalf of the whole neighborhood when you are expressing your own personal opinion...I personally would like to be able to buy things I actually need in my own neighborhood. Very little on Barracks Row fits that description.But another resident jumped to Olson's defense, writing:
If you feel the need to shop at one of the everyone is like the other chain stores, it’s real easy to hop on the subway and go to Pentagon City.The area, which only years ago was to be avoided, has attracted businesses, bars and restaurants since the District spent $8.5 million to brick sidewalks, install new lighting and increase parking as part of the Great Streets Initiative. And as more and more businesses have started moving in -- Matchbox will soon open its second District location along the stretch -- the conflict became inevitable.
The area south of Pennsylvania Avenue down towards the Potomac Avenue Metro Station has started picking up as of recent, and with it have come more and more demands for better shopping and dining on the east end of the Hill. Of course, those demands create the same tensions that have been on display in other parts of the city. Should local businesses be preserved only because they are local, quality notwithstanding? Can chains serve to increase traffic while not having a negative impact on the area's feel? How do such business decisions affect residents, both new and old?