Eclipse Residents to Ask County Board to Take Action to Reopen Harris Teeter

Residents of The Eclipse condominiums located at 3600 S. Glebe Road just north of Alexandria are planning to submit 400 signed letters to the Arlington County Board on Saturday urging the swift reopening of the Harris Teeter located in the building.

The grocery store has been closed since May 2012 following an interior flood caused by a sewage backup.

Representatives from Harris Teeter and Arlington County have told building residents that the two parties are working to reopening the popular store. It has undergone an extensive clean-up process.

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A Harris Teeter representative told Patch in August 2012 that .

A Harris Teeter spokeswoman told ARLnow in January the store will not reopen until the company can be assured that measures are in place to prevent another sewage incident.

“We are actively working with both the county and our landlord to discuss solutions to make sure that which happened does not happen again,” company spokeswoman Danna Jones told ARLnow. “Once those solutions are implemented, we are ready to start work on the interior of the store, and at that point, Harris Teeter will make various public announcements to share the good news with everyone.”

A subsequent ARLnow report indicated that the Arlington County Board held a closed session to discuss pending claims made by Harris Teeter and others with the Arlington County Attorney and staff.

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“It appears that Harris Teeter is waiting for action from the County Board before they will begin the reopening process,” Eclipse resident Sarah Maiellano wrote in a letter she plans on submitting to the County Board. “I strongly encourage you to take any and all actions necessary to hasten the reopening of the Harris Teeter grocery store located in the Eclipse building.”

Maiellano said the store’s closure has been an inconvenience to her and other residents of the building. She also fears the empty retail space could negatively affect property values in the building. Retail space in the Eclipse has struggled to remain occupied. Maiellano also believes having the store remains closed indefinitely is a negative reflection of the community.

For more on the Harris Teeter, see:

• Report: Still No Reopening Date for Harris Teeter
• Council Approves Potomac Yard Development Containing New Giant
• Harris Teeter Must Be Sanitized Before Reopening
• Harris Teeter on S. Glebe Remains Closed
• Updated: Harris Teeter on S. Glebe Closes Due to Flooding