Restaurant Depot plans expansion in Alexandria into neighboring open space

Shopping center Restaurant Depot on Eisenhower Avenue (4600 Eisenhower Avenue), a big-box store that sells equipment to restaurants, is looking to purchase open space from the city for an expansion.

Jetro Cash & Carry, owners of Restaurant Depot, are headed through the city approval process for an offer to purchase 32,459 square feet of the public right of way adjacent to the property for additional warehouse space.

“This City-owned public right of way is currently green space but does not appear to function as ‘open space’ for recreational use,” said a staff report on the proposed purchase. “The property is shown as open space in the Eisenhower West Small Area Plan, as part of a series of planned ‘finger parks’, or green extensions connecting Eisenhower Avenue to other locations and offering green space from the Avenue. Per the Small Area Plan, the Restaurant Depot site and neighboring parcels are planned for residential development. This City-owned property has not been declared surplus.”

The report said there will be a demand for open green space identified in the Eisenhower West Small Area Plan, but city staff said the exact timeline for implementation of the plan is unclear the sale of the property is consistent with goals for the Eisenhower Valley.

“Staff believe that the sale of this property would be consistent with the Eisenhower Small Area Plan if proceeds from the sale are allocated to the Eisenhower West Open Space Fund and upon future redevelopment of the site, the Eisenhower West’s open space goals for this site will be met,” the report said.

The report recommends sale of the property. The Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on the purchase at a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

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