Home Furnisher Opening in Woodies Building

West Elm's Arrival Heralded as Key Step in Revitalization of Downtown Retailing

Home furnishings retailer West Elm -- a sort of younger sibling of Pottery Barn -- plans to open its doors today in the historic Woodward & Lothrop building in the District, with city officials heralding the store as another important step in revitalizing downtown.

The three-level location at 10th and G streets NW incorporates several of the distinctive features of the defunct Woodies department store. West Elm restored the grand staircase leading down to the ground level and marble flooring at the entrance. It has also maintained the original elevator banks and the brass scrollwork adorning them.

Today, the retailer plans to use furniture from the store to create a lounge at Metro Center to celebrate the opening and offer special discounts and promotions. Mayor Adrian Fenty, several city council members and business leaders are expected to attend the ribbon-cutting.

"I know that West Elm is a premier retailer and they bring a great customer base," said Norman Jemal, vice president of Douglas Development Corp., who negotiated the deal. "Downtown is a retail shopping district once again."

West Elm is a division of Williams-Sonoma, the well-known San Francisco seller of high-end cooking equipment and accessories, and caters to 25- to 45-year-olds with an eye for design, said Michael Dadario, senior vice president for retail. It is known for its clean lines, muted color palettes and affordable prices.

West Elm launched as a catalogue business headquartered in Brooklyn in April 2002 and began opening stores in November 2003. It operates in 24 locations in 13 states, with two more scheduled to open by the end of the year.

The District store is the largest in the chain, measuring 38,000 square feet, nearly double the size of its other local store, in Tysons Corner Center, Dadario said. The space allows the store to carry more merchandise, such as bathroom fixtures, and a wider product selection.

"This is where we like to be," said Dadario. "When we find an old building, we take it."

Three years ago, the city created a $30 million program of tax incentives to lure retailers downtown. West Elm received $4.9 million in tax increment financing to build its store. The debt is to be paid off with some of the sales tax that the store generates. Real estate brokers and experts estimated that the District location will generate sales of about $500 per square foot.

"We're very excited about West Elm," said Karen Sibert, director of marketing and communications for the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District. "We feel like a retailer of this caliber will help anchor the spines" of shopping that exist along neighboring blocks.

The Woodies building has nearly 500,000 square feet and is bounded by 10th and 11th streets and F and G streets NW. Its office space is leased to the Recording Industry Association of America, the National Endowment for Democracy, the FBI, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Tribune Co.

Retailer H&M, which received $2.9 million from the city, is also housed in the building. Zara, a European clothing chain, and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum are expected to open there in the fall.

Woodies left the building empty when it went out of business in 1995. Developer Douglas Jemal bought the building in 1998 from the Washington Opera for $28 million and spent an estimated $100 million renovating it.

Dadario used to live in Washington and said he remembers shopping at Woodies just after graduating from college, while he was working at a rival retailer. Two years ago he returned to Washington to scout locations for the West Elm store. He had heard about the revitalization of downtown but had not yet seen it, he said. He returned to the Woodies building and knew he had found his space.

"We walked in like, 'Oh wow, oh wow!' " Dadario said. "We got so excited about it."

Staff writer Dana Hedgpeth contributed to this report.