Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sunbelt Rentals Build-Out Begins

Sunbelt Rentals, the national chain equipment rental brand, is finally building out its space at 2204 Martin Luther King Avenue. The store will rent out construction equipment, and is wisely locating themselves in one of the most under construction areas of the city.

Before the lease was executed, the space had been used for private parties and had a really great raw feel. Despite the loss of exposed brick and (intentional) graffiti, it'll be nice to have a well-run business operating here.


there won't be many exterior improvements other than a new sign and rebuilt iron fence


the space is divided into two sections - the storefront and ...


... the back warehouse and storage area

For anyone who would rather see something more exciting move in - I understand - but, this is a good step towards showing other retailers that this is an acceptable place to locate businesses. And with the "build it and they will come" track the neighborhood is currently growing on, facilitating that "build" stage is pretty important.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your blog is such an inspiration, it has made me look at Anacostia in such a different way...
I had always avoided passing through Anacostia, I felt uneasy every time I had to drive by just to get to DC. I live in Southern Maryland. My husband and I are actually planning going for lunch in Big Chair next time we visit DC.
It is so refreshing to see people like you and Charles Wilson caring so much about a neighborhood that is part of the nation's Capital.
Who knows? We have always been interested in owning something in DC but saw the prices just prohibitive.
MAR

Anacostiaque@verizon.net said...

We live in Anacostia, since 2004, and we absolutely love it. The people actually speak and look out for each other. We love it so much, we purchased our 2nd home in Anacostia. While friends struggle to find smaller properties in much more expensive areas, typically involving longer commutes, we have access to everything from here.

Anonymous said...

It is the location what attracts me the most!
My husband works in Southern Maryland but he has to go to DC almost every week due to work,we also love to go to DC on the weekends but don't do it as much as we'd love to due to the long drive.
I am European, a real city dweller and I just hate to live in the suburbs. Buying in Anacostia could be an option.
MAR

Anacostiaque said...

If so, hurry. People are always checking things out over here. Many properties need a lot of work and others have character. My opinion is that Anacostia has already been discovered and the nicer offerings seem to go fast. That being said, many properties are deplorable and need a lot of work.

Anonymous said...

Well..
I visited Anacostia this week, to be honest, it was the first time I got out of the car and it was lovely.
People were really nice, very nice and polite, I had great coffee and walked MLK.
As I was driving I saw High Schoolers wearing uniforms which reminded me of my 12 years in Catholic schools (God bless uniforms,I hope someday they would be mandatory in every single school)
I was impressed with Anacostia.
However...there is something that really keeps me away from it: Marion Barry. I really do not want to live in a place that is "ruled" by him, it really drives me away.
MAR