The Ballad of 14th and T: Room & Board Buys the Building

After four long years and many a thwarted plan—involving a pentecostal church, condos, Dave Chappelle, a yoga studio and so much more—a warehouse at 14th and T Streets NW has been sold (for the full tale, in the utmost detail, click the link).

Minnesota-based Room & Board has purchased the property, and expects to open a furniture store there in less than a year.

There’s not much more left to say, except congratulations to everyone involved. Anything is better than a colossal, under-used, boarded-up (no pun intended) building in the heart of the city.

Here’s the press release:

Room & Board, a 29-year-old company offering handcrafted, American-made home furnishings, announced today it will open a new store in Washington, D.C., in the early spring of 2010. The store, located in the historic Taylor Motors Building at 14th and T, will be Room & Board’s second store on the east coast and eleventh store in the U.S.

Room & Board recognized Washington, D.C., as an ideal market for its new store after receiving strong demand and positive feedback from its 11,000 customers in the area. As a long-term commitment to the community, Room & Board has purchased the Taylor Motors Building, and has engaged a local architect and plans to hire local contractors and employees to stimulate the local economy at a time when the creation of new jobs is a rarity.

“We are a national retailer with a local point of view, and we’re glad to do our part to help the economy and be a good neighbor,“ said John Gabbert, founder and president of Room & Board. “We’re proud to bring our unique philosophies to Washington, D.C., and to support the American manufacturers and small, family-owned businesses that create our handcrafted furniture.”

The new store, located at 1840 14th Street Northwest, will initially employ approximately 50 design associates and staff members at its distribution center. The 31,600 square foot store will honor the historical integrity of the building and surrounding neighborhood. The existing shell will be refurbished to preserve its historic character, reflecting Room & Board’s environmental philosophy of design. Room & Board is currently searching for a separate distribution center in the area to facilitate customer deliveries.

In these unprecedented economic times, Room & Board is continuing its thoughtful growth strategy by considering several urban markets for potential new store locations. The markets being considered include New Jersey, San Jose, Boston, Seattle, Miami and Dallas.
About Room & Board

Room & Board is a Minneapolis-based furniture retailer offering unique home furnishings that combine classic, simple design and exceptional quality using natural materials. More than 85 percent of its furniture is manufactured in America. Room & Board is proud of its commitment to supporting American manufacturers and small, family-owned businesses. For more than 29 years, Room & Board professionals have helped people furnish their homes, translating their passion for well-designed home furnishings into outstanding value for customers. Room & Board has stores in Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Orange County, San Francisco, New York and Atlanta, and will open its tenth store in Los Angeles in the fall. Its unique collection of home furnishings is also available nationally through Shop From Home, which includes a catalog, Web site and team of knowledgeable Design Associates to help with the selection process and professional, in-home delivery service. For more information on Room & Board, visit roomandboard.com or call 800-486-6554 to order a catalog.

Tags: 14th and T Streets, Dave Chappelle, Room and Board