A Look Inside The O Street Giant

• November 20th 2013

by Shilpi Paul

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After decades in a run-down state, O Street Market, located at 7th Street and O Street NW (map), will be opening its doors again on Thursday evening.

As part of the Roadside Development’s massive project CityMarket at O, the historic market hall, which was built in 1881, was rebuilt and will be occupied by a portion of a new Giant supermarket. The store opened its doors to members of the media earlier today.

About a quarter of the Giant will reside in the historic market, including the produce section set up in a historic style. The store will also have a few features in addition to the expected: a wifi-ready cafe overlooking the historic portion has been incorporated into the plan, the wine section is amped up, and there is an extensive ready-made food section.

The larger development, still under construction, includes a residential portion with 145 condos, 400 market-rate apartments and 84 affordable senior housing units.

As the Post reported yesterday, the revitalization of the market is a poignant symbol of Shaw’s transformation. In 1994, a violent shooting inside the market illustrated the state of the area at the time; now, the swanky development fits right into a neighborhood where the average price of a two-story rowhouse is $660,000, a nine-fold increase since 1994.

The grand re-opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 6pm on Thursday, and the Giant will be open for business on Friday.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.production.logicbrush.com/articles/blog/a_look_inside_o_street_giant/7848.