Library in Bloomingdale’s sights

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - D.C. leaders have been talking to Bloomingdale’s in recent months about locating a new store in downtown Washington, possibly in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library or perhaps on the Old Convention Center site.

Sean Madigan, spokesman for the deputy mayor for planning and economic development, would only confirm the city has “talked to Bloomingdale’s about a lot of sites in the city.” Jim Sluzewski, spokesman for Bloomingdale’s parent company Macy’s, said the department store giant is “always looking for new store locations, but we do not disclose where we may or may not be looking.”

But sources in Mayor Adrian Fenty’s administration confirmed that the talks have included the MLK Library at 901 G St. NW as a “possible option” for the District’s second Bloomingdale’s. Those discussions also have broached the possibility of an anchor store on the Old Convention Center site, which is being redeveloped as a new city center.

Downtown D.C. has long been an unattractive option for department stores outside of Macy’s at 13th and F streets. But with the success of Gallery Place, and the opening of West Elm, Zara and H&M, retailers are giving the area a second look.

Nordstrom, for example, is in talks with the District to locate its first D.C. store either in Georgetown or on the Old Convention Center site.

“Bloomingdale’s has looked at downtown Washington 10 times and has rejected downtown Washington 10 times,” said Ward 2 D.C. Council Member Jack Evans.

Rumors of the talks have circulated for months among library system advocates.

MLK is largely recognized as needing substantial renovation if it is to continue as the District’s headquarters library. The Mies van der Rohe building was declared a historic landmark earlier this year.

mneibauer@dcexaminer.com

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