by Katherine Saltzman
Van Ness/Tenleytown
Broadcasters Child Development Center
The former Johnson’s Garden Center – once home to green and growing things – will be home to growing… children. Broadcasters’ Child Development Center (BCDC) will move its daycare facility from Van Ness to the Johnson’s location in the 4200 Wisconsin Avenue complex owned by American University.
BCDC currently operates on the former Intelsat campus at 3007 Tilden Street, NW, but the Whittle School & Studios is eventually taking over the entire facility. American University said in early December that renovations at 4200 Wisconsin were under way and that BCDC will move in “during the coming months.”
City Ridge and Fannie Mae
Longtime neighbor Fannie Mae has left Tenleytown and Van Ness for its new, consolidated downtown headquarters.
On December 1, Roadside Development and North America Sekisui House (NASH) broke ground on the former Fannie Mae Headquarters property at 3900 Wisconsin Avenue. Developers have named the project City Ridge in reference to its geographic location – the property sits on a ridgeline separating the two stream valleys of Rock Creek Park on the east and Foundry Branch to the west. In addition to the highly anticipated Wegmans supermarket market, the project will include “687 residential units, a 100,000 square feet of headquarter office space in the historic building, 153,000 square feet of retail space, and 62,000 square feet of new office space and 150-room hotel, a health club, and a cultural arts venue on the front lawn,” as reported by WAMU. See renderings of the property and stay up-to-date on project developments at cityridgedc.com.
Fannie Mae was to vacate its Van Ness offices at 4250 Connecticut by the end of 2018. UDC is moving in. The university in December signed a long-term lease with owner Bernstein Management, with an option to buy the building should the DC Council grant the funding. UDC is discussing plans for ground-floor retail with Van Ness Main Street, wrote VNMS Executive Director Theresa Cameron.
New drugstore set to open in Van Ness
Van Ness Main Street’s Cameron also says Alpha Peoples Drugs is moving into the former Embassy Dry Cleaners space at 4215 Connecticut. According to the website, the pharmacy offers over-the-counter medication as well as prescription transfers and refills, medication therapy management, travel vaccinations and home and mail delivery of drugs. Alpha Peoples Drugs currently operates near Dupont Circle. The move-in date has not been announced.
Tenleytown Main Street releases small business videos
Getting to know your neighbors, 21st century style.
This is one of eight videos launched in November by Tenleytown Main Street. They feature eight small business owners discussing their history, services and community involvement. The videos are part of TMS efforts to showcase the diverse businesses and services in Tenleytown.
Cleveland Park
Brothers Sew & Vac
Brothers Sew & Vac (3317 Connecticut) has been “cleaning up” in Cleveland Park for four decades. And yes, there are brothers involved.Jay Morris is the owner of the Cleveland Park location. And he is one of three brothers. They own and operate the Brothers Sew & Vac stores in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Rockville. All four stores sell all things vacuum and sewing machines, vacuum accessories and parts, but Brothers is primarily a repair shop.
“Most people don’t fix anything anymore, because there is no one around to fix it. So we are filling that void.” Morris said. Brothers provides customers with free estimates for vacuum repair costs.
Morris’s parents opened the first store in Silver Spring in 1956. The brothers worked at the shop as kids, and in 1962, shortly after high school, Morris began working at the store full time. The Cleveland Park location was the family’s third shop and opened in the late 1970s.
Brothers has been around so long, the business has changed – and changed back.
For several years, the store saw a downturn in vacuum bags sales because of newer bagless vacuums. Now, however, customers are returning to the original kind. It seems the bagless versions have proved less reliable. “People thought they would like that because they could save money by not buying vacuum bags but now not buying because they have a dust smell, not as clean running as a bag system,” Morris said. “Our bag sales fell off about 25-30 percent in the last couple of years. But now it’s coming back.”
Brothers in Cleveland Park also sells, repairs and services vacuums used at restaurants across the city as well as historical sites, including Hillwood Museum and Blair House.
“We enjoy being in Cleveland Park. We are a neighborhood fixture, people come into say hello and they come in because they want to support local business,” Morris said.
Anna Marie says
According to Chipotle’s website, there’s one “Coming Soon” to 4304 Connecticut Ave NW where Parklane Dry Cleaners used to be.
Theresa Cameron says
Hi,
The space at 4304 Conn. Ave. will not be a Chipotle and the building owner is working on a lease with a new business and will announce it soon.