Barnes & Noble Will Return to Georgetown
By • December 20, 2023 One Comment 6729
It seems like a Christmas miracle. The wished-for return of bookseller Barnes & Noble was on many residents’ list. Next year, this wish will come true. It will also herald the retail renaissance of Georgetown.
Gone from Georgetown since 2011, the United States’ largest national bookstore chain will return to its original location at 3040 M St. NW, having signed a 33,754-square-foot lease for the same three floors, as first reported by the Washington Business Journal.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to return to Georgetown,” said James Daunt, Barnes & Noble’s CEO, in a prepared statement. “There is no better example of the changing fortunes of physical bookstores, and Barnes & Noble specifically, than to reopen in this magnificent building at the heart of Georgetown.”
The 48,773-square-foot building is owned by a joint venture between Cara Real Estate and Lincoln Property, which acquired the property in 2019 from Vornado. At the time, the space was occupied by Nike, whose lease was slated to end in 2022, though it had options to extend, according to WBJ. Nike left Georgetown in early 2023.
“The Georgetown market has experienced a renaissance following COVID with many new brands and a lower vacancy rate than prior to COVID,” David Dochter of Dochter & Alexander, which represented the owner, said in a prepared statement. “It demonstrates that we can continue to be bullish about this market as a walkable vibrant neighborhood with a strong projection of success.”
As expected, the large bookstore will sell books, newspapers, magazines, music and gifts — and contain a café.
This is great news! I lamented the closing of Barnes and Nobles over a decade ago and welcome its return. I travel occasionally to Georgetown to shop and always thought the store closing left a gap in an area that should have enough demand to sustain it. This increases the attractiveness of the area for me as a destination point. Glad to see the revival of Barnes and Nobles overall under the leadership of an actual bookseller.