The Walgreens at 4225 Connecticut Avenue is closing on July 30th, only three and a-half years after it opened at the corner of Connecticut and Veazey.
Customers who use pharmacy will find their prescriptions transferred to the Walgreens at 3524 Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park, but prescription records are available at any Walgreens.
Reader Ashley was the first to alert us: “I was surprised, given how recently that Walgreens location had opened, but perhaps they underestimated the advantage that CVS has in being the first thing one sees when exiting the Metro on the west side.”
Walgreens won’t say why it’s closing this store, but does tell us it is one of 200 stores being closed nationally, as announced on April 9th. Phil Caruso of Walgreens media relations would not reveal the factors weighed in deciding which stores will close. He did say employees will be placed at other stores.
The store opened its doors on December 23rd, 2011 after a long fight with DDOT and our ANC over the best design for the site on top of the Van Ness Metro station. The initial design submitted in 2009 was for a suburban-style store set back from the street, with surface parking and a drive-thru.
An off-price gas/service station stood at this location before that. This post from Popville in December 2009 has a photo of the service station before it was demolished to make way for the Walgreens.
Now we’re left to wonder, what will move in next? What would you like to see at this location?
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Kate Dell says
Suggestions for Walgreen location:
Rodman’s, Ace Hardware or Trader Joes.
These stores provide necessities and/or lower prices.
Hope springs eternal!
Marcus says
Anything. Anything could move in and be good. There is enough empty storefront space in the area (see the east side of connecticut just south of the metro entrance, since Chalin’s closed). We just don’t need any more empty space.
Marlene S. says
There was a huge problem with Walgreen’s delivery trucks illegally parking on Veazey Terrace, including blocking the fire hydrant. I called 311 on them numerous times, but nothing stopped them. A store like Trader Joe’s would have even more delivery trucks blocking a narrow side street and a fire hydrant. I would oppose any store that has massive delivery trucks and an inaccessible loading dock.
Dave Donaldson says
That is not so Marlene. I had talked to the Walgreen’s Manager and after our discussion it was discovered that the liquor store and other merchant s were the culprits of semi haulers parked on Veazey ac well as Moving Vans going to Van Ness South and illegal parking on Van Ness St.you failed to mentionfor delivering to so the bank, restaurants and offices. Now that’s what we are talking about as a starting point… What do you think??
Dave Donaldson says
That is not so Marlene. I had talked to the Walgreen’s Manager and after our discussion it was discovered that the liquor store and other merchant s were the culprits of semi haulers parked on Veazey ac well as Moving Vans going to Van Ness South and illegal parking on Van Ness St.you failed to mentionfor delivering to so the bank, restaurants and offices. Now that’s what we are talking about as a starting point… What do hour think??
Larry says
Landmark Theaters is expanding in the DC area (they are reopening the former West End theater) and wouldn’t it be nice if they decided to locate in Van Ness.
Paul says
Something that is open late in order to give this neighborhood some vibrancy. The area around the Metro is a ghost town after the Potbelly closes, which is the most happening place within a block of the Metro right now (sadly enough). Suggestions:
1. An eating/drinking establishment with a rooftop
2. A place to watch nightly local live music
3. A 24/7 diner
4. A bowling alley
Just please no more dry cleaning places.
Marlene S. says
All that live music would be heard from the residents both behind and next to the Walgreen’s. Please, let’s not contribute to sound pollution. The loud construction is bad enough! This is residential neighborhood.
Deb Cotter says
I agree, please, no more dry cleaners! Restaurants in the area, including Acacia a couple blocks away. The restaurants on the Walgreens/CT Ave block between Van Ness and Veazey Terrace can’t seem to stay afloat. What can we and/or the city do to help keep family-owned restaurants thriving on this block?
A small movie theater would be great near VN-UDC Metro, but is that lot large enough. I miss Office Depot; They could just use the Walgreens building as is.
Jo Wheeler says
I’d love to see a Pier One or Container store, and a rooftop restaurant would be delightful. Is there enough room for a theatre?
Ingrid Farstsmitth says
How about we bring back the Ethan Allen, Gap, Boston Market and Ledo’s!
n smith says
A Wegman’s would be welcome!
If a non-food retail store would take interest: Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Barbara Parker says
Whatever goes in the Walgreen’s space needs to attract foot traffic. It seems to me that one of the reasons for Walgreen’s failure is that there is no available parking. Also the proximity to CVS. I never understood the decision to build another pharmacy so close to an existing one.
Marlene S. says
There was a parking garage below the Walgreen’s — although most customers choose to illegally park on Veazey Terrace, even though the parking was free. And Walgreen’s has a practice of building its newest stores close to CVS stores in an attempt to drive out the latter. In this case, it lost the competition.
Deb Cotter says
I think Walgreens also suffered by not connecting their garage with the Van Ness North, Van Ness East, & Van Ness South garages – which connect to Giant and make for an easy covered walk to CVS & Giant. Whatever takes Walgreens’ place should consider connecting the garages.
Leslie Limmer says
How about a grocery store specializing in international foods? It wouldn’t compete with the Giant Food, and it would get business from nearby embassies. Best of all, we locals would have exotic recipe ingredients close to home.
julee says
Trader Joe’s !!!
Steve says
At some point, someone should explain to the rest of us the economics of drugstores ….. There is a CVS every 1/2 to 2/3 mile on Connecticut Ave from Woodley Park to CCCircle. And a similar number of stores 1/2 mile west on Wisconsin Ave. Walgreen has add to the total number as well as have the supermarkets. ………. Apparently the profits of medical prescriptions are so high, and the overhead costs of a building is so low, that they can scatter many drugstores, even in relatively low density residential areas ? … Anybody have any knowledge on the economics of this? ………. Clearly Walgreens thought there was enough of a market in NW that they could add stores in close proximity to others….. BTW, I see Walgreens do this in other parts of the country as well.
Tracy Johnke says
We had some trouble with new comments once our new site came online. Here are the comments we received, but were unable to publish until now:
John Saunders, 7/22: How about an upscale grocery/deli such as Balducci or Wagshal? A local library / bookstore? Large trendy restaurant such as Lauriol Plaza on 18th Street. Sad but the site is too small for Trader Joe’s or Wegman’s. The building exterior needs massive improvement. It looks like a cheap 1950s knock-off.
Violeta, 7/22: A place to get a beer after work or on the weekend. Nothing fancy, just a neiborhood place with beer and snacks. Now we have to go all the way to Cleveland Park.
Deb Cotter, 7/23: I suspect that the high density aging population in upper North West, combined with the rising number of prescriptions older adults are prescribed by their doctors (the average adult over 65 takes 7-9 different Rx medications.), makes the area a prime spot for pharmacies. The CVS at Van Ness and the 24-hour CVS on Wisconsin at Tenleytown are likely the ones with the most foot traffic, volume, and inventory.
It is good to see that since CVS stopped selling cigarettes , they still seem to be thriving.
I wish we had more family -owned restaurants rather than dry cleaners and drug stores.
Dave Donaldson says
Many of you know, I’m a candidate for the Special ANC3FO2 election being held on August 6th from 7:05PM-7:55PM at 4301 Veazey St. I”ve read the replies here & have listened to many of the community in meet and greets. I would set a committee to review best options for our community and act on it.
Marlene S. says
Having a committee decide what it wants is one thing. It’s a completely different matter to convince a specific company to take the property. It would need to conduct studies on whether it would be profitable for it to do so. The sad fact is that many, many businesses and restaurants have opened and closed in the Van Ness neighborhood due to lack of business.
Milena says
I agree with most of the comments here. But, what I’m here to add is that I spoke to a manager who said the reason they are closing is the rent rate… $120,000.00 a month.
Mary Beth Ray says
My understanding is that Walgreens owns the building.
Chuck says
bummed because it had a DC Fast Charger in the back. I used to charge my car there all the time :-(