Petworth Safeway Under Construction
The Petworth Safeway at 3830 Georgia Avenue, NW closed in September for major renovations. The previous building, one block from the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro station, was known as the “Stinky Safeway,” but hopefully the new mixed-use Petworth Safeway development will have a more complimentary nickname.
Years ago, the Petworth neighborhood was promised a replacement for their aging Safeway, but nothing materialized until now. Some residents are not particularly fond of the design of the new Petworth Safeway. They wish that signature architectural elements of the old building, like the arched facade, had been incorporated. But pretty much everyone agrees that the new building will certainly be better than the current 50-year-old one, and are very excited for the change.
During the development project, the Petworth Safeway Pharmacy will temporarily relocate to 4034 Georgia Avenue, NW. After construction, the Petworth Safeway will be 62,400 square feet, dwarfing the old 21,250-square-foot building. The modern Petworth Safeway will become one of the newest and largest Safeway stores in the District, with a full deli, Starbucks, and pharmacy. Plus, the Petworth Safeway staff will increase to 150-160 (from the existing 40-50 employees).
Atop the Petworth Safeway will be a five story building containing 220 apartments. The height of this building is similar to that of the existing apartment building on Randolph Street, NW. The Petworth Safeway development will also include two floors of parking underground, eliminating the current surface parking lot. Eighty-five of those parking spaces will be designated for shoppers on the first level, while the remaining 135 spaces on the lower level will be exclusively for residents.
The new Petworth Safeway is expected to open in the summer of 2014. In the meantime, Safeway is offering free shuttle bus service to the Safeway on Piney Branch Road. The store is also offering free home grocery delivery to Petworth customers who prefer to shop for groceries online at Safeway.com. While you’re shopping online, start thinking about new nicknames for the Petworth Safeway.
