A Walgreens pharmacy in Pentagon City has terminated its lease, leaving a notable vacancy at the Westpost shopping center.
The drug store at 1301 S. Joyce Street closed on May 5, according to storefront signage. Federal Realty Investment Trust, which owns Westpost, says it is now in touch with a “national bookseller” that is interested in leasing the 11,000-square-foot space — but doing so would require an amendment to the center’s site plan.
A minor site plan amendment application aims to change a provision requiring Federal Realty to maintain a full-service grocery store and a full-service drug store at Westpost at National Landing — a condition initially approved in 1998. The landlord wants to nix the drug store requirement and also reduce the grocery store’s mandated minimum size.
The application was the subject of a virtual county meeting last week, where attorney Nicholas Cumings of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh said Federal Realty could not find a pharmacy interested in filling the space, which is located next to Nova Patient Care and Pentagon Row Cleaners.
However, pending the requested site plan amendment, the landlord has reportedly found an interested bookstore.
“CVS is really the only other option, and they have three locations nearby. They’re not interested,” Cumings said. “There is no drugstore tenant interested in the space, but Federal Realty did try to look for one. So, our choice is either a vacant space, which really would hurt Westpost and the other tenants, or this bookseller, which is a really popular store and a retail use that should thrive at this location.”
It’s unclear which bookstore Federal Realty is referring to, although Barnes & Noble has long maintained a presence in Arlington. The national chain recently reopened its former two-level Clarendon location, which had consolidated to the second level to make space for two incoming restaurants on the ground floor.
Meanwhile, Walgreens, which did not respond to a request for comment, is directing its former S. Joyce Street customers to access their prescriptions at a CVS at 2400 Richmond Highway in Crystal City.
Other nearby drug stores include in-store pharmacies at Harris Teeter (900 Army Navy Drive) and Costco (1200 S. Fern Street), as well as CVS locations at 1201 S. Hayes Street and 1550 Crystal Drive.
Federal Realty filed the amendment application in late February, according to the Washington Business Journal. Since it is only seeking a minor site plan amendment, the next step will be a decision from the Arlington County Board.
The item is tentatively scheduled for the Board’s July meeting, Rachel LaPiana, spokesperson for Arlington’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, told ARLnow.
In addition to eliminating the drug store requirement, Federal Realty is seeking to reduce the grocery store’s minimum floor area from 40,000-square-feet to 14,000 — a change that would allow for a small-format grocer like Trader Joe’s or Aldi, if Harris Teeter ever chose to depart the shopping center.
“We don’t think right now that that’s happening, but with merger activity and lots of consolidation within that large-format space in the market, Federal Realty needs to be prepared for that outcome so they can maintain a grocer in Westpost in perpetuity,” Cumings said.
The proposed change drew some hesitation from residents at the meeting. Some voiced their need for a full-service grocery store in the area, while others questioned whether the amendment was necessary, since Harris Teeter is not expected to close at this time.
Westpost’s site plan was last amended in 2021 to allow more flexibility with leasing and architecture. During the approval process, the Arlington County Board shot down a similar request to downsize the grocery store’s required square footage.
