Brentwood, Tenn.-based GBT Realty has officially announced the addition of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse to Ellsworth Place. According to a press release, the discount shoe retailer signed the lease in late 2021 with construction to renovate the former Guitar Center storefront, which is currently underway.
We reported last month that DSW was leaving its street-level location at 910 Ellsworth Drive for Ellsworth Place. The store closed on January 22, and signage directs shoppers to DSW’s locations in Hyattsville and Wheaton. A replacement retailer for the now-vacant space in the Downtown Silver Spring development has not been announced.
Guitar Center, which opened in April 2017, closed its location at Ellsworth Place in January of last year following the company’s bankruptcy filing.
“DSW is one of the leading fashion retail companies operating today and is an ideal tenant to further our vision of making this center a hub for value-oriented shopping and innovative dining in this vibrant community,” says Trey Culpepper, vice president of the capital holdings division of GBT Realty. “It’s just one more way Ellsworth Place is becoming a more integrated part of the Silver Spring community.”
Signage at DSW’s previous Ellsworth Drive location points to a March 24 opening at Ellsworth Place. According to GBT, DSW’s new 17,500 square-foot store is approximately 9% larger than its previous storefront in the Downtown Silver Spring development.
Ellsworth Place, originally known as City Place, was acquired by GBT from previous owner Petri Richardson Ventures in 2018. Petri Richardson Ventures had acquired ownership and management of the 350,000 square-foot shopping center in 2012 in a joint venture with Rockwood Capital, and put the shopping center up for sale in 2017.
“Quite a bit has changed at Ellsworth Place since we added the center to our portfolio,” continues Culpepper. “The DSW announcement comes on the heels of another tenant announcement — Commas, an eclectic food hall with 12 food and beverage vendors that is also scheduled to open this year. Over the past two years, GBT has invested a half-million dollars in property improvements including an indoor playground that encompasses nearly the entire ground level as well as updated lighting, digital directories and graphic installations.”
Culpepper also hinted that more new tenants will be announced soon. “Leasing momentum is growing and is higher than it’s ever been since we’ve owned the center,” he adds. “More shopping and dining options are expected to be revealed in the coming months as a good number of retailers and restaurants are in hot pursuit of the available space. Potential tenants are most interested in the full-service, second-generation restaurant as well as the two storefronts that front Fenton Street.”
Photo by David Lay