Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s Sets Opening Month

By ARLnow.com

The opening of the new Trader Joe’s in Clarendon is about two months away.

The company announced today that its grocery store at 1109 N. Highland Street will open at some point in November. The store is 12,300 square feet in size and will offer underground parking.

Interior construction started early last month. Freezer cases and other food-related accoutrements are now visible inside the under-construction store.

With the opening forthcoming, Clarendon residents will soon start receiving Trader Joe’s sales flyers.

“Many area residents after the store opens can expect to receive a copy of the Trader Joe’s ‘Fearless Flyer’ in their mailboxes,” the company said. “The Fearless Flyer is a somewhat irreverent description of a timely selection of Trader Joe’s products. It’s been called a cross between Consumer Reports and Mad Magazine.”

There are more than 350 Trader Joe’s stores in 30 states.

Construction Begins on New Clarendon Trader Joe’s

By ARLnow.com

Interior construction has finally started on the new Trader Joe’s in Clarendon.

In addition to converting the cavernous space within 1109 N. Highland Street into a grocery store, crews will also be working to install an elevator shaft, to provide access from the store to the parking garage below. Residents of the Lyon Place at Clarendon Center apartments received the following note about the impending construction on Friday.

Please be advised that Prime Contracting is scheduled to do work in the parking garage to install elevators from the garage to the Trader Joe’s store. This elevator project is scheduled to begin August 8 and is expected to take at least 8 weeks to complete. During that time there will be several spaces on each level of the garage that will be out of service. All driveways will remain open and access to parking will continue as usual.

Please take notice that on Monday, August 8, Prime Contracting will begin concrete demolition for the elevator shaft in the garage. The concrete demolition will start at 5:30pm and will take 3-4 hours. It will take approximately 3 evenings to perform this work.

Clarendon Trader Joe’s Receives Building Permit

By ARLnow.com

Interior work on the new Clarendon Trader Joe’s is expected to finally get underway soon, after Arlington officials approved the store’s building permit today.

The store was originally slated to open “mid-2011,” but that hoped-for opening has been pushed back due to an unexplained delay in applying for (and getting) the necessary permits and inspections. In May, a Trader Joe’s rep told ARLnow.com that the store is expected to open by the end of the year.

In addition to the building permit, Trader Joe’s has also received a zoning permit that will allow it to modify the building’s first floor facade (pictured) for use as a grocery store. The only other regulatory hurdles that remain, for now, concern the store’s fire prevention plan.

The new Trader Joe’s will be located at 1109 N. Highland Street, one block from the Clarendon Metro station.

Still Awaiting Construction at Trader Joe’s Site

By ARLnow.com

A liquor license application notice is taped to the window, but that’s just about the only sign of progress at the future Trader Joe’s on N. Highland Street in Clarendon.

Interior construction of the hotly-anticipated grocery store has yet to begin. In November a Trader Joe’s rep told the County Board that they hoped to have the store open by “mid-2011.” Now, that seems highly unlikely.

Reached for comment yesterday, all Trader Joe’s spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki could tell ARLnow.com is that the store is on track to open by the end of the year. She said the company never actually promised an earlier opening.

A closer look at construction permit applications reveals that the company only started applying for its permits last month. As of this writing, the building permit is still listed as ‘rejected’ due to numerous discrepancies. County inspectors have also rejected the store’s fire prevention, mechanical and plumbing plans.

We’ve reached out to an Arlington building official but have yet to hear back.

Trader Joe’s Signs Lease in Clarendon (Finally)

By ARLnow.com

Being Trader Joe’s is like being the prettiest girl in school. Everybody wants to go to the dance with you, so you can afford to be picky.

So it was with the grocery chain’s new Clarendon location. For months now, the company has kept observers wondering when they would finalize the lease for 11,000 square feet of prime retail space on the ground floor of the Clarendon Center project.

First, the store demanded concessions from Arlington County, which were granted. Then, we hear, they insisted on holding off on the lease until they were granted certain county permits.

It now appears that whatever permits the company has been waiting for have been approved. The Clarendon Center leasing plan shows Trader Joe’s occupying the space, near the corner of North Highland Street and Clarendon Boulevard.

In November the company told the county to expect a Summer 2011 opening date.

Concessions Granted, Clarendon Trader Joe’s Moves Forward

By ARLnow.com

Trader Joe’s fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Last night the county board granted the grocery store chain the site plan amendments it sought as a condition of moving into the new Clarendon Center development.

The changes will allow Trader Joe’s to reserve underground parking spaces for customers and shopping carts, utilize the loading dock from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and allow an outdoor display of merchandise.

“I’m very happy to take this vote,” County Board Chairman Jay Fisette said, shortly before members voted 5-0 to approve the amendments without modifications. “It’s about time Trader Joe’s figured out what a great market Arlington is.”

Should the board have denied the site plan amendments, Trader Joe’s indicated it would have walked away from the deal. Instead, following the vote, a Trader Joe’s rep told the board to expect a Summer 2011 opening date.

Most of the handful of residents who spoke out about Trader Joe’s at last night’s board meeting expressed support for the proposed store. Some, however, had specific concerns as well.

Those concerns included the noise from delivery trucks idling, the practicality of the reserved parking scheme, whether validated parking will be abused, the potential for predatory towing in the parking garage and worries about the outdoor product display. In the end, the board discussed but did not specifically act on the concerns.

Fisette and county staff noted that Arlington has a explicit policy of modifying regulations in order to attract grocery stores.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

It’s Christmas Time Again — Thanks to the owners of Ballston Common Mall, Pentagon Row and other retail outlets around Arlington, we are reminded that this is the time of giving… your credit card to the person behind the register.

Shirlington Plans Tree Lighting Ceremony — Shirlington Village will hold a tree lighting ceremony on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 30. The event will feature free horse-drawn carriage rides. More from the Shirlington Village Blog.

Board to Vote on Trader Joe’s Requests — At its 6:30 p.m. meeting today, the Arlington County board will vote on whether to grant the site plan amendment requested by Trader Joe’s for its planned Clarendon store. The board is expected to give Trader Joe’s what it wants, but if it doesn’t the grocery chain could walk away from its plans. It has not signed a lease yet.

ABBIE Awards to be Announced Today — The 15 winners of the annual Arlington’s Best Business Awards — or ABBIES — will be announced today at the county board’s 3:00 p.m. meeting. ARLnow.com was nominated for an award in the “Best Place to Learn Something New” category, but we apparently did not win. Thank you to everybody who voted for us.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Trader Joe’s Could Open in Clarendon by Late Spring

By ARLnow.com

At the Lyon Village Civic Association’s meeting last night, officials from Traders Joe’s revealed additional details about their hotly-anticipated Clarendon store.

The company still hasn’t signed a lease, we learned; it’s waiting for the Arlington County board to approve a site plan amendment for the space it wants to occupy in the Clarendon Center development. That approval is expected next Tuesday, with county staff recommending the changes laid out in the amendment.

With the lease signed, Trader Joe’s expects to be able to open in late spring or early summer. No specific dates were discussed.

Company officials addressed two specific neighborhood concerns.

While acknowledging that parking will be a challenge for the store, especially with the crush of shoppers expected right after opening, the company is working with the manager of the Clarendon Center parking garage to alleviate potential underground traffic jams that could push cars onto neighborhood streets. Colonial Parking will assign an employee to direct traffic in the garage during certain times, we’re told.

Company reps also addressed worries about the aesthetics of the store. They promised to beautify areas of the store visible to neighbors, like an elevator that will be visible through the store windows. They pledged to decorate such areas with artwork rather than just with advertisements about food and sales.

One person who was at the meeting describes the crowd as “very receptive” to Trader Joe’s presentation.

A representative from Saul Centers, the developer behind the Clarendon Center project, will talk about Trader Joe’s with neighbors at the Lyon Park Civic Association meeting tonight Wednesday night at 7:30.

In related news, ARLnow.com has confirmed rumors that a large national chain restaurant has been eying a retail space in Clarendon Center. In fact, we’re told that the restaurant, said to be of the TGI Friday’s or Chili’s variety, was interested specifically in the 10,000 square foot space that will be occupied by Trader Joe’s.

“We think [Trader Joe’s] would be a better fit for the community,” a Saul Centers official told ARLnow.com. The official refused to name the restaurant.

Trader Joe’s Will Likely Get Its Regulatory Wishlist

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s long-standing policy of encouraging grocery store development in the county is helping to pave the way for Trader Joe’s to open in Clarendon.

ARLnow.com first reported last month that Trader Joe’s was prepared to sign a lease in the Clarendon Center project if it could get some regulatory issues ironed out. Among them: the retailer wanted permission to have dedicated parking, wanted to display its products outside the store, and wanted a loading dock provision modified.

“I think we managed to work through all three issues,” Arlington County Planning Division Chief Robert Brosnan told us last night. “We do have a policy for shared parking, but we also have a policy for grocery stores, and it really is in the name of encouraging a grocery store that we will modify those requirements in this case.”

Brosnan said he expects county staff to recommend the changes, and for the board to take up the issue at its November board meeting (on either Nov. 13 or Nov. 16). After that point, Trader Joe’s will likely make the final decision on whether to sign a lease.

The site plan amendment process for Trader Joe’s was “not abnormally fast,” Brosnan noted. He added that some additional steps may be required for the store to get permission to display products outside.

Fisette: “Hopefully We Can Work Something Out” With TJ’s

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette says he’s hopeful the board will take some sort of action to satisfy Trader Joe’s parking prerequisites for coming to Clarendon.

Residents at a Lyon Village Civic Association meeting last night were told that Trader Joe’s will only move to the area if Arlington County amends the Clarendon Center site plan to allow reserved parking spots in the building’s parking garage. The retailer is reportedly worried that there may not be enough parking for customers if all the garage’s spots are unrestricted, as the current site plan calls for.

Fisette says he can “fully appreciate the reason for their request.” He says county staff will study existing Trader Joe’s stores to determine parking requirements, and will also study the number of available parking spaces in the area near the Clarendon Center project.

“We’ll hopefully find a balance here… I’m hoping we find a way to get the ‘yes,’ whether it’s with the exact number of reserve spaces or some modification,” Fisette said. “They are a really desirable retailer… hopefully we can work something out.”

“We have goals of attracting grocery stores,” Fisette noted. “They’re an incredible amenity and asset for a neighborhood… Arlington residents have been chomping at the bit for a Trader Joe’s for ten years, so I’m excited about the possibility.”

Please go to our original Trader Joe’s post to discuss this story.

BREAKING NEWS — Break Out the Three Buck Chuck: Clarendon Trader Joe’s Close to a Reality

By ARLnow.com

It has been a persistent rumor, but now it’s close to coming true. Trader Joe’s is in the late stages of negotiations to come to a 10,000 square foot space in the nearly-completed Clarendon Center project, according to two people who attended a Lyon Village Civic Association meeting last night.

The store is nearly a done deal, we’re told, except for one big hurdle. Trader Joe’s has said it will only move to the space if Arlington County amends the Clarendon Center site plan to allow reserved parking spots in the building’s parking garage.

As the site plan stands right now, the garage will be open to anybody who wants to park there, whether they’re going to a Clarendon Center store or to a restaurant across the street. It’s a provision that the county desired, but Trader Joe’s fears that there won’t be enough parking left for its customers.

A site plan amendment is expected to be filed on Friday. The matter would likely go before the county board in November. (Update: See county board chairman Jay Fisette’s comments about Trader Joe’s here.)

The 10,000 square foot Clarendon Trader Joe’s would be of average size for the chain. It would be nearly 2,000 square feet smaller than the Alexandria Trader Joe’s.

At last night’s meeting, some Lyon Village residents expressed concern that parking for Trader Joe’s will spill over into nearby neighborhoods. Most residents, however, were supportive of the long-awaited grocery store, we’re told.

Also at the meeting, Clarendon Center’s developer revealed that each building is on track to open on schedule, before the end of the year. The south building is expected to deliver in November and the north building — future home of a number of new restaurants — is expected to deliver a month later, in December.

Hat tip to J.B.