WC Smith welcomed Lidl, the German-based supermarket chain, as an anchor tenant at Skyland Town Center, the 18.5 acre mixed-use development underway in Southeast Washington, DC. When it opens, the Skyland store will be Lidl’s first venue in DC and the first major full-service supermarket to enter Wards 7 and 8 in more than a decade.
Lidl is known for offering customers a uniquely diverse product mix of traditional grocery fare and household items. The 29,000 square foot store will join Phase 1 of the Skyland Town Center development, which will also include a CVS, other proposed restaurants and services, 263 residential units and nearly 200 dedicated surface parking spaces at the entrance. Skyland Town Center is located at the intersection of Alabama Avenue, Naylor Road and Good Hope Road SE.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with WC Smith and Rappaport, announced the lease signing on May 19 at RECon, the annual meeting of the International Council of Shopping Centers, in Las Vegas.
“Lidl is a fantastic grocery store – a grocery store that we are proud to be bringing to the residents of Ward 7,” said Mayor Bowser. “Lidl knows what we know: Every corner of Washington, DC is a great place to do business. As we continue working to make our city’s prosperity more inclusive, this partnership is a reflection of the work we are doing to bring high-quality resources and amenities to every part of our city – amenities that will set our families and neighborhoods up for long-term success.”
“Lidl’s decision to locate at Skyland Town Center means that our future residents will have a top quality supermarket at their doorstep,” said WC Smith CEO Chris Smith. “WC Smith has long been active in this part of Southeast Washington, as we manage 4,300 apartments in Wards 7 and 8. Having Lidl so conveniently located will provide a significant boost to the neighborhood and a much-needed service to the people who live there.”
Rappaport and WC Smith, who lead the retail and residential leasing, partnered with the District Government as well as other entities such as the Washington East Foundation and Skyland DC to redevelop Skyland Town Center over the last 15 years. Rappaport’s Jim Farrell, Thomas Bolen III, and Michael Leon represented Skyland Town Center in the transaction.
“I have dedicated myself to this project and built treasured relationships within this community, so success at Skyland Town Center is more important to me than any other project,” says Gary D. Rappaport, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rappaport. “Like so many great ones, the story of Skyland Town Center is rich and multilayered, and soon Washingtonians will be able to experience the much anticipated Skyland Town Center vision in real life. We are so pleased to welcome Lidl to Skyland Town Center and thrilled to bring an innovative, modern retailer with fresh options to this deserving neighborhood.”
“We are committed to opening stores in the most convenient location for our customers,” said Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl US. “We selected Skyland Town Center because it offers District residents an easily accessible, convenient and visible site. Understanding the history of the site and the tremendous anticipation from the community, we look forward to building a store customized for the shoppers of Skyland Town Center.”
