Murry’s market to relocate from Skyland Shopping Center to Rhode Island Avenue NE

Washington Business Journal by Michael Neibauer, Staff Reporter

Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 2:41pm EST

The District is finalizing a deal to relocate the existing Murry’s grocery store from the Skyland Shopping Center in Southeast across town to a partially shuttered Safeway on Rhode Island Avenue NE.

Murry’s, at 2800 Alabama Ave. SE, will be forced out of Skyland (as will all other Skyland tenants) to make way for the Wal-Mart-anchored Skyland Town Center. The District, which seized the center through eminent domain six years ago, cannot turn the land over to developers the Rappaport Cos. and William C. Smith & Co. until all legal issues are cleared and the tenants are out.

The District has spent roughly $200,000 per Skyland tenant on relocation expenses as required under the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition law. The one exception was RCN Telecom Services, which received as much as $4.25 million. The exact relocation cost for Murry’s is unknown, but it should come out near the average.

The new Murry’s Save-a-Lot at 528 Rhode Island Ave. in Edgewood will share the former Safeway space with a Big Lots, which opened in the same building earlier this month. The Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Center is located across the street from the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station and steps from the new residential development Rhode Island Row.

The most noticeable work at Skyland so far was the September demolition of 2808 and 2812 Alabama Ave. SE — the former Shoe City and an adjacent property. A groundbreaking on the $260 million town center project is expected in late 2013.

The new Skyland is expected to feature 310,000 square feet of retail, 468 residential units and a town square.