RETAIL NEWS

CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND – As construction continues on a 9,500 square-foot retail pad building on the site of a former gasoline station at Free State Shopping Center, owner JBG Rosenfeld Retail (JBGR) recently finalized a lease for another 2,600 square feet of space in the new building. Discount mattress retailer Rockaway Bedding will be the first tenant to open in the pad building later this spring, followed by ice cream concept Cold Stone Creamery and Italian restaurant Fresco Pomodoro this summer.

“Since beginning the redevelopment of Free State Shopping Center in 2003, our efforts have made an enormous impact on the shopping environment at the center,” said JBGR Executive Vice President Bob Schwenger.  “The addition of these new pad building tenants like Rockaway Bedding, plus the new, larger Giant Food store will further add value to the center and reaffirm Free State Shopping Center’s place as the dominant, grocery-anchored community shopping center in north Bowie.  We are very excited about the completion of redevelopment later this year.”

Recognized from Connecticut to Virginia for providing brand name bedding at up to 65% off regular department store and furniture store prices, Rockaway Bedding prides itself on carrying a variety of brand names including Sealy, Simmons, King Koil, OrthoPosture, Tempur-Pedic, Lady Americana, and others.  The company offers fast, free delivery on full, queen, or king size premium mattress sets, free set-up, removal, and bed frame with a bedding set purchase.  The Free State store will be the third for the company in Prince George’s County, joining its Crofton and Laurel locations. For additional information, visit www.rockawaybedding.com.

Built in 1972, and previously renovated in 1995, Free State Shopping Center is a Giant-anchored community shopping center located on Annapolis Road (Route 450) in Bowie, Maryland.  The 281,000 square-foot center, currently in its second phase of redevelopment, features a variety of local and national retailers, including Tuesday Morning, Blockbuster Video, AMF Bowling Center, Grace’s Fortune Restaurant, Sakura Japanese Steakhouse, Starbucks Coffee, Chevy Chase Bank, Goodyear Tire, and numerous other service providers.  In addition to the new pad building, the redevelopment includes a new, 73,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art Giant Food store, plus façade upgrades, improved access and parking, and the addition of a small park and fountain setting facing Annapolis Road.  The redevelopment is scheduled for completion this summer.

Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, JBG Rosenfeld Retail specializes in the leasing, development, acquisition, construction, and management of retail properties throughout the mid-Atlantic region.  Currently, JBGR holds 30 shopping centers, nine freestanding store sites, and numerous mixed-use retail sites in its portfolio.  For more information on the full scope of the company’s services, call (301) 657-0700, or visit www.jbgr.com.

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