Development News: 2 Sisters Drive-In Coffee Drives Away
(Watercolor by Hannah Michael Gale Shapero, aka Pyracantha.)
During the five years that the little 2 Sisters Coffee Co. was open next to the old Post Office parking lot, thousands of coffee fanatics drove up, juiced up, and drove away. But on Monday it was the coffee shop’s turn to drive away –- literally, on the back of a flatbed truck.
The two sisters, Nikki Harrison and Sandra Orr, opened the shop after Harrison arrived in Falls Church from Oregon, where coffee drive-ins are “a dime a dozen.” The land they leased on Broad Street is owned by the City and slated for eventual development as part of the City Center South concept, so it didn’t make sense to build anything permanent or substantial.
Instead, the sisters constructed a miniature drive-up hut, big enough for two workers (assuming they’re married or very close friends). In addition to coffee, 2 Sisters sold smoothies and baked goods. Business was never overwhelming, “but we had a lot of fun,” says sister Orr.
The end of 2 Sisters was precipitated both by Harrison’s decision to move away and by the City’s push to vacate both the coffee shop land and the adjoining post office parking lot (which is why the post office had to relocate). Ironically, with the departure of both 2 Sisters and the Post Office, there is now no firm timetable for doing anything with the vacant land.
The delay in City Center South meant there was no requirement to close 2 Sisters, so it was offered for sale. Prospective buyers showed some interest, but in these recessionary times nothing came of it. Back in January we reported that the City was offering to reduce the rent, but Orr said that never happened.
Ultimately, Rasmus Auctioneers of Alexandria held an online sale, with the winning bid coming from Mrs. Kay’s Toll House in Silver Spring. The little hut made the trip across state lines on Monday.
Pearson Square Apartments Now ‘Over-Occupied’
We’ve been reporting the occupancy rates of the new condominiums/apartments on a regular basis, courtesy of the City’s Economic Development Office. The July EDO report would catch anybody’s eye: Pearson Square Apartments has attained a “greater than full occupancy by industry standards.” The actual occupancy rate is 96 percent. Does that mean 100 percent occupancy would have tenants sleeping in the lobby and the broom closets?
Spectrum Condos Offer ‘Rent-to-Own’ – Is That Legal?
Meanwhile, Spectrum Condominiums now has 32 units sold. Trouble is, the last EDO report had the total up to 33 by the end of May. Two steps forward, one step back.
So Waterford Development has gotten creative with a “Pathway to Home Ownership” program (translation: rent-to-own). Rents range from $1,450 for a 1-bedroom loft to $3,350 for a penthouse view. Buying the same units costs $399,900 for the loft and $785,900 for the penthouse.
(Question: When Pearson Square converted to rental units, the City had to grant permission (due to the change in the special exception zoning). The Spectrum also received a special exception. Should the Spectrum also have to seek permission to rent units, or can they squeak by on a technicality that it’s “rent-to-own”? Lawyers needed, please.)
The mixed-use building contains 189 units including the office condos on Park Street. On the commercial side, Waterford is offering up to six months free condo fees with purchase.
Sounds like Waterford is ready to deal, so what about its prospective anchor tenant, Mad Fox Brewing Co.? The EDO newsletter says “investor fundraising has gone well,” and Mad Fox is in “the final stages” of negotiating a lease. Final stages? Is that where Waterford has to roll over, say “Uncle,” and sign over their first-born child to Mad Fox?
Latest Saab Story
We’ve speculated for months over the future of International Motors, the City’s Saab dealership. Latest good news is that Saab owner General Motors has found a buyer — Koenigsegg Automotive, a Swedish sports car company. The bad news is that Koenigsegg has never sold more than 20 cars in a year – each for over a million dollars.
Hop and a Skip between Doodlehoppers
When Four Eyes Optical vacated its old location on Broad Street, Doodlehopper toy store decided to expand. Only one catch -– two other shops lie between Doodlehopper and the old Four Eyes. But no problem – exit one Doodlehopper, make a hop and a skip, and you’ll be at the other store.
360 South Washington Now for Sale
No joke about this – Owner Tom Sawner is asking $3.6 million for his building at 360 South Washington St. That’s the same building for which the Falls Church Housing Corp. paid Sawner $2 million in an option-to-buy deal never exercised. That’s the same $2 million that the City loaned the Housing Corp. in order to make the deal. And 360 South Washington is the same building that the Housing Corp. planned to knock down in order to erect a high-rise low-income apartment complex. Confused? We are. Details to follow.
UPDATE: See our July 9 report: http://fallschurchtimes.com/2009/07/09/ask-the-times-wheres-the-2-million/
By George Southern
July 2, 2009
I know that the EDA offered the Two Sisters reduced rent to stay in that location indefinitely (or until City Center gets started – whichever comes first). I also know the City wasn’t pushing to have the space vacated. There was a requirement to vacate if/when City Center got started – and that lack of long term stability may have factored into their decision to close shop but there was no push to have them out at this point.
In fact, the EDA tried to keep them operating in that location and even offered to work with potential new owners to make a transaction viable.
I’m bummed they’re gone!
By the way, the lot is for rent. If anyone is interested they should call 703-248-5491.
Andy, thanks as always for your comments.
Regarding the first point, co-owner Sandra Orr stated to me personally that the City never reduced her rent.
Regarding the second point, before you joined the EDA and before the Falls Church Times existed, Nick Benton reported the following in the Aug. 23, 2006, News-Press: “The U.S. Post Office in the downtown 300 block of W. Broad Street has been officially notified by the City of Falls Church that it must be prepared to move by sometime in the spring.” The story implies that the adjoining 2 Sisters Coffee Co. would also have to move by the end of 2007.
You can read that story at:
http://www.fcnp.com/follow-the-news-press-on-twitter/137-post-office-told-by-fc-to-move-by-spring-as-city-center-plan-readied.html
Hey George,
I’m not questioning what Ms. Orr told you – and it might be technically correct since we never got to the point where they would continue operating at a reduced rent – but I was in meetings where we talked about various levels of reduced rent that would be acceptable and I’m fairly certain those offers were extended to the Two Sisters and their prospective purchasers.
I’m not sure at what point it occurred, but at this point the land is actually owned by the EDA and not the City so the topic came up at most of our monthly meetings over the past 5-6 months.
I do know that the agreement had some kind of clause that could require them to vacate with 30 or 45 days or something – in the event that the City Center project got under way. I imagine an operation like the Post Office would need to proactively avoid being in that kind of situation (hence their move) – but the Two Sisters would have been able to move with such short notice. I could be wrong, but I’m almost certain that the City and the EDA never asked Two Sisters to vacate.
Also, while I’m fact checking, the City only owns the Post Office parking lot, not the building (it is privately owned). It is kind of entertaining to think that back in the summer of 2006 people thought City Center construction would start sometime in 2007 – oh well.
At some point I’m probably treading on details that aren’t supposed to be public so I’ll wrap it up by saying that I really don’t think the Two Sisters closed shop because the City or EDA was trying to force them to close shop, and I know the EDA has been working for months to try and keep something located there (it’s one of the few sources of revenue for the EDA – we need every penny we can get).