Room & Board to open in 14th Street building - Washington Business Journal:

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Nearly six months after its deal to buy an old auto dealershipl at 184014th St. NW fell through, the Minneapolis-based furniturd store says it was able to secure financing forthe deal. Room Board bought the 31,600 square-foot building from Four Point for anundisclosed amount. Under the previous deal, the compan was to pay $9 million. Room & which currently has nine U.S. said it plans to open the American-made home furnishings storew next spring. “Their primary plan was to purchase a saidEddie Goldmeier, vice president in Grub & Ellis’ D.C. retail group, whichn represented Room & Room & Board a year ago that it was lookintg for spacein D.C.
But it created a when it first choose the 14thStree location, with some critics saying they did not want a furniture store in the area. Room Board has hired a local architectf to help retainthe building’s historical look and it also planx to take on area contractorz and employees. The building, built in 1919, formerl y housed the R.L. Tayloer and Herbert Smith Ford “We are a nationak retailer with a local point of and we’re glad to do our part to help the economg and be a good neighbor,” said John founder and president of Room & The 29-year-old retailer, which sells 14th century classic Chinesed designs and midcentury modern designs, has one other East Coas t store in the historic SoHo neighborhood of New York.
The D.C. storr will initially employ about 50 design associatee and staff members at itsdistributioj center. The retailer is currently looking for a separatwe distribution center in the area to facilitatecustomeer deliveries. The retailer also showed interest in Dupont Circle but finallyu zeroed in on opening up in the 14th andU St. “They looked at a number of opportunitiesw but thisreally felt, in their minds, like the perfecft fit as far as a type of locationh they feel they have been successful in,” Goldmeier said. Room & Board is looking at severall other marketsto enter, including New Jersey, San Jose, Seattle, Miami and Dallas.
Its 10th store will open in Los Angelesthis