Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Construction Update: The Exchange Safeway Building in Wheaton

The Exchange at Georgia Ave & Reedie Dr, with luxurious new sidewalks.
I am excited to share these pics taken last night. The sidewalk is finally open around the building!!  This is big news for those of us who walk or bike past there a lot and have been crossing Georgia Avenue twice each trip due to the complete closure of these sidewalks!

This is an update to my post from last winter, which included photos of the building under construction.

Another view facing Georgia Ave, with Safeway Now Hiring sign.
A friend of mine is looking for a new apartment so inquired about the rental options here (with my encouragement).  He learned that the first tenants will start moving in this
November Friday, before all floors are completed. [All are expected to be completed this December, according to the blog comment below.]

Nice new landscaping on Reedie Drive and Exchange Now Leasing sign.
He & his wife are in the market for a two-bedroom but probably won't be moving to the Exchange because they think the floorplan layouts are odd.  I think they designed them this way to be modern, but they think it results in some wasted space since a lot of the 2 bedrooms have wide hallways running down their middles.  They love the indoor pool located on a high floor, but think it was designed way too small since there will be so many people living in the building with access to the pool.  This couple is used to having a big outdoor pool at their DC apartment and it gets crowded in the summer, so they looked at the size of the Exchange's indoor pool and just imagine it overly packed.  They did really love the idea of a rooftop deck to lounge on with DC views, the views off in the distance from the apartments, and the big windows and decks in the units.

I hope other people appreciate the modern layouts and the building is filled soon -- if not, the unusual layouts are likely the reason.  If they have problems renting the space maybe they can redesign some of the units to have more conventional layouts that take full advantage of the space in each unit.  He loved the balcony and views and thought the materials used were solid and attractive.  The location across one small side street from the Metro entrance, and on the Red Line, is also a big draw.

Want to see the new units for yourself?  The Exchange is having a Grand Opening event Saturday, October 26, 1-4 pm.  This will include the drawing in a contest for free rent for a year!

No word yet about when the Safeway Grand Opening will be, but I'll certainly post an update when we know!  I'm looking forward to this new store.