A national grocery chain originally inspired by open food markets in Europe is plotting an expansion in the D.C. area.
The Fresh Market has landed deals to open stores at Reston Station and West Falls, the mixed-use development currently under construction on Falls Church City’s former high school campus, the Washington Business Journal first reported.
The grocer’s 27,000-square-foot Reston store will anchor the future Midline neighborhood, which will expand Comstock’s development near the Wiehle Metro station to the east side of Wiehle Avenue.
Construction on the first portion of the Midline project — EYA’s Townhomes at Reston Station — began in September 2020. Approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2018, the plan called for 1.8 million square feet of housing, office and retail space on four blocks bounded by Wiehle, Sunset Hills Road and the Dulles Toll Road.
Comstock entered the picture in 2022 when it acquired two vacant office buildings at 1831 and 1861 Wiehle Avenue from JBG Smith. At the time, the WBJ reported that the developer hoped to tweak the approved Midline plan to reduce the amount of retail and office and increase multi-family residential development.
Fairfax County records indicate that a site plan was submitted last year to redevelop both properties with a 127-unit independent living facility and a 325-unit multi-family residential building. At least one of the buildings appears to include retail space.
“We are excited to announce The Fresh Market, a specialty food retailer, as the anchor of Midline at Reston Station and welcome them to the neighborhood,” Comstock Chief Operating Officer Tim Steffan said in a press release. “…We take great pride in delivering top offerings to the Reston Station community and look forward to further enhancing the vibrant retail scene with even more exceptional choices.”
The Reston Row neighborhood being built on the west side of Wiehle Avenue recently welcomed Vida Fitness, and confirmed incoming tenants include the mini golf facility Puttshack, French bakery Tous les Jours, a sushi restaurant and Ebbitt House. A JW Marriott Hotel and Residences is on track to open in spring 2025.
Over in Falls Church, The Fresh Market has a deal for 29,000 square feet in an upcoming residential building at the corner of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) and Haycock Road, according to the WBJ.
That suggests the grocery store will be located in The Alder, an apartment building that’s now under construction and expected to start move-ins this fall, per its website. Other tenants confirmed for West Falls include the Spanish immersion early education center Tierra Encantada and the restaurants Seoul Spice, BurgerFi and Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls.
Developer Hoffman & Associates also opened sales this spring for a condominium complex along Mustang Alley called The Oak. That portion of the project is expected to finish in late 2024.
Conceived by the couple Ray and Beverly Berry, who wanted to create an alternative to “warehouse-type supermarkets,” The Fresh Market opened its first store in Greensboro, North Carolina, on March 5, 1982, according to its website. It now has 161 locations in 22 states, including stores in Vienna and Alexandria.
Back when West Falls was still in the planning stages, the grocer was described as “like Trader Joe’s” in response to concerns that another grocery store could be redundant with a Giant Food right across the street. The tenant’s identity was kept under wraps at the time by a nondisclosure agreement.
Now that the news is out, Hoffman Chief Investment Officer Jon McAvoy lauded The Fresh Market for a “commitment to fostering local connections and bringing people together” in a press release.
“The addition of this exceptional, fresh-focused grocer will complement the rest of the neighborhood,” McAvoy said. “…The Fresh Market’s commitment to fostering local connections and bringing people together aligns perfectly with our vision for West Falls, and we look forward to welcoming them to the neighborhood.”
According to the release, The Fresh Market’s new Reston and Falls Church stores are both expected to open “within the next three years.”
