Town Square to get ‘Fresh’

Regional grocery chain Super Fresh has signed a lease to anchor Rockville Town Square, a 15-acre redevelopment project on Rockville Pike.

Super Fresh, a Montvale, N.J., grocery chain, has several locations in the Washington area, including one on 48th Street in upper Northwest.

The store will be Super Fresh’s first in the Washington area under its new “Fresh” store concept, which will include organic and traditional grocery items, said Chris Weilminster, senior vice president of leasing at Federal Realty Investment Trust, the Rockville company that owns the site.

Federal Realty almost signed a deal with Harris Teeter, an upscale grocery chain.

“We were unable to put a transaction together,” Mr. Weilminster said. “Super Fresh and Federal Realty immediately commenced talks toward a transaction. It gives them an opportunity to put their Fresh concept” in the Washington area.

The 34,000-square-foot grocery store is expected to open late this year.

The redevelopment at Rockville Town Square was designed to bring new life to the once-struggling Rockville Town Center. Now only one space is unclaimed in the center.

Other new tenants include Bobby’s Crab Cakes, a casual seafood restaurant; Cloud 9 Clothing, a small Baltimore clothing chain; La Flor de la Canela, an upscale Peruvian restaurant; Love Your Eyes, an optical store; Pomegranate & Co., a Bethesda home furnishing boutique; and Town Square Jewelers.

Rockville Town Square also will house the first Oro Pomodoro, a casual Italian restaurant with wood-oven pizza. It’s the first of its kind from Savino Recine, who also owns D.C. restaurants Primi Piatti, Finemondo and Cloud Dining Lounge.

Other notable tenants include Gifford’s Ice Cream, Taste of Saigon restaurant, Gordon Biersch Brewery and First Watch, a breakfast chain that is starting to move into the Washington area.

Rockville Town Square’s first tenant, Starbucks, opened last month. The rest are expected to open throughout the year, with a grand opening on Memorial Day weekend.

Coming soon …

• Bethesda Row, another redevelopment project by Federal Realty Investment Trust, also announced new tenants.

They include Le Pain Quotidien bakery, Urban Chic clothing store, Lucy Activewear, Colorworks Salon and Dolcezza Gelato, an Argentine gelato cafe. The tenants are expected to open early next year.

• Next Realty Development said last week that its shopping center at Branch Avenue and Woodyard Road in Clinton will house a Walgreens and Office Depot.

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