Arlington 'Ready to Help' Harris Teeter Reopen

Arlington County is prepared to do everything in its power, including expediting the permitting process, to help Harris Teeter reopen its store at 3600 S. Glebe Rd., officials said this weekend.

The response came Saturday when a resident of the Eclipse condominiums delivered 415 signed letters to the Arlington County Board requesting the local government "take any and all actions necessary to hasten the reopening" of the popular grocery store.

It has been closed since May 2012 following an interior flood caused by a sewage backup.

A Harris Teeter representative told Patch last summer that .

"It would be inaccurate to say that Harris Teeter is somehow waiting for the county to do something in order to open this store," County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac said. "That is a matter that is entirely within their control. They are able to open that store when and if they choose."

County Manager Barbara Donnellan called it "a tough situation." The county began meeting regularly with Harris Teeter representatives in the months following the sewage backup, she said.

But "we have not heard back from Harris Teeter in the last number of months on any updated requests or anything. The talks have kind of slowed down," Donnellan told the county board.

"So, we'd be very interested in knowing if there are outstanding things that we are owing them, because at this point we're not thinking that we owe them anything. But we would love to reengage and have some more conversation with them."

MacIsaac openly speculated that the holdup was due to something going on between the grocer and its landlord.

Resident Sarah Maiellano told the county board that the Harris Teeter was one of the "primary advantages" to living in the Eclipse development, which is just north of the City of Alexandria.

Its closure has been an inconvenience that has forced residents to take their business outside of the county, she said. The indefinite closure also reflects negatively on the community and the empty retail space could hurt property values, she told the board.

Donnellan suggested the next move to make belonged to the grocer.

"We have always been clear with them: We are prepared and ready to go to help the permitting process go as quickly as possible when they're ready to redo the store and get that done," she said. "We stand ready to help that happen."

Read more:

• Report: Still No Reopening Date for Harris Teeter
• Council Approves Potomac Yard Development Containing New Giant
• Harris Teeter Must Be Sanitized Before Reopening
• Harris Teeter on S. Glebe Remains Closed
• Updated: Harris Teeter on S. Glebe Closes Due to Flooding