In what is becoming a familiar occurrence with District home-grown businesses, the Adams Morgan liquor store and deli Comet is closing its doors. As noted in the Washington Post, the bright neon sign will shine for the last time next week.

Comet’s owner Sidney Drazin passed away this past March, and his family assured the community that the liqour store and deli would not close. His wife Bernice, 76, has found the task of operating the business to be too much, and negotiations are in the works for a hair salon to lease the space, which the Drazins own.

The closing of Comet is part of a larger trend, that of independently-owned businesses being pushed out of the District. With developers’ eyes on the bottom line and maximum growth potential, what’s best for the identity of a community is often overlooked. DCist has examined the issue of development before, specifically with articles on the gentrification of up-and-coming areas such as U Street and Columbia Heights.