by UrbanTurf Staff



The Eataly in New York City The Eataly in New York City

Eataly has signed a letter of intent for somewhere in the vicinity of 30,000 to 35,000 square feet of retail space at the massive Capitol Crossing project planned for above I-395 of Massachusetts Avenue NW, UrbanTurf has learned.

Since 2011, there has been talk that the massive Italian gourmet market-bar-restaurant combo might be coming to DC, but the news that an LOI has been signed is the first concrete sign that the project is moving forward. Eataly could go in at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and 3rd Street NW (map), but that location has not been finalized.

Now, it should be noted that Capitol Crossing, the 2.2 million square-foot, $1.3 billion project planned around and over the Center Leg Freeway portion of I-395 (map), is still several years from completion, meaning that Eataly wouldn’t arrive until 2017, at the earliest. And, an LOI is just the first step in securing a tenant, so there is always the possibility that Eataly could back out.



A rendering of the retail space at Capitol Crossing. A rendering of the retail space at Capitol Crossing.

Developed by Property Group Partners, the plans for the mixed-use development include four office buildings, totaling 1.9 million square feet, and one 150-unit residential building, as well as five levels of underground parking and a retail component. The plans also include public spaces, like a promenade and outdoor plazas, and on-site child care. The project will reconnect several DC neighborhoods, easing the path between Capitol Hill and downtown.

Eataly is an Italian food lover’s dream. The New York City location includes 50,000 square feet of Italian restaurants, wine bars, bakeries and food stands that has become a favorite destination of foodies and tourists alike.

Representatives from Eataly did not immediately respond to comment for this article, but we will update it when we receive a statement.

Update: Eataly’s Cristina Villa responded to UrbanTurf with the following: “We are working on bringing Eataly to DC. Regarding the LOI specifically, we prefer not to comment on it.”

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This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/eataly_signs_on_to_come_to_dc/8308