WDCEP Features DC Retail Market Potential at ICSC Mid-Atlantic

Last week, the Washington, DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP) showcased the DC development market and available retail opportunities at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC) Mid-Atlantic Conference and Deal Making event, held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. The ICSC conferences are key venues where the WDCEP can attract retailers and restaurants to the available retail spaces in DC.

“ICSC Mid-Atlantic puts us in front of retailers and restaurateurs that are looking to expand into the Mid-Atlantic region and gives us an opportunity to tell them why DC is the place they should be doing business,” says Keith Sellars, President & CEO of the WDCEP. “ICSC conferences allow us to tell the whole DC story to developers and retailers, not just the story of a city of monuments, but the story of a city with vibrant neighborhoods, a thriving economy, and high retail market potential.”

During the conference, the WDCEP held meetings with several retailers and retail brokers to discuss bringing more business to the District. Some of the key retailers and restaurants the WDCEP met with were Kilwin’s Chocolates, a handmade chocolates, fudge, and ice cream establishment, Energy Kitchen, a fast-food restaurant that only offers healthy choices, Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Walgreens, and Roy Rogers Restaurants. The WDCEP also met with several prominent retail brokers that represented a variety of businesses and franchise opportunities, including Vapiano, Toys R Us, Uncle Julio’s, Pete’s Apizza, Alfred Angelo, BangBang Mongolian Grill, Flip Burger Boutique, Quiznos, Famous Daves, West Elm, White House Black Market, and more.

The District government and the WDCEP’s attendance at nation-wide ICSC conferences for the past 11 years have led to deals that landed many of the popular retailers and restaurants seen in the District today. In May, the WDCEP will be leading the DC delegation to the 2012 ICSC RECon, a global retail real estate convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which attracts 35,000+ retail and real estate professionals.