City Desk reported yesterday on the latest developments for what will go into what used to be the Church of the Reformer at 14th and T NW. For months, many in the neighborhood have been debating the merits of local diner magnate Constantine Stavropoulos purchasing the building and create another take on his well-liked group of eateries like Tryst and Open City. But Stavropoulos was unable to take over the building’s lease; now, he’s combined with mega-comedian Dave Chappelle and shifted the focus of the project to a comedy club.

But it all might be for naught: the comedy club collaborative has seemingly been outbid for the space by Minneapolis-based big box furniture outfit Room and Board. Room and Board – for whom a D.C. location would be their second on the East Coast – is a smaller-scale Crate and Barrel; put a different way, you’ll have to put in some serious financial thought before purchasing a whole lot of what they offer.

Local reaction has begun to trickle in. Greater Greater Washington thought about the idea and concluded that while it’d be great to have a local business fill the space, it’s not the worst idea in the world to have more mass retail options available in the District proper. We’re slightly impartial to the decision as well, but we understand that good eats and hearty laughs with a D.C. touch have more local appeal than candy-striped $129 cushions. Of course, some in the neighborhood are rightfully concerned about the proposed furniture store’s potential to siphon business from the large number of smaller, locally-owned furniture stores in the U Street Corridor.

The City Desk story reports that Room and Board’s winning bid for the empty space was $9 million – but that the company has the option of pulling out of the deal. Read: we’re nowhere near the completion of this story. Stay tuned.