H&M is Coming to Town

Cothing chain H&M will open two stores in the District of Columbia in 2003. The stores will be located the former Woodward & Lothrop Building downtown and at the Shops at Georgetown Park. The downtown location will be one of only two company flagship stores in the country.

The announcement was made during the Downtown DC Business Improvement District's (Downtown BID) fourth annual winter festival of lights celebration to promote the revitalization of downtown retail. Mayor Williams was joined by the owner of the Woodward & Lothrop Building, developer Doug Jemal for the announcement.

"The opening of the H&M downtown gives us the chance to recreate F Street as it once was," said Mayor Williams. "There is much to celebrate this holiday season, and we look forward to more positive energy in this neighborhood as other retailers follow H&M downtown."

"The city is negotiating a financing package that will allow H&M to use a percentage of future sales taxes to reconfigure the Woodies space to fit its needs," said Eric Price, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. "H&M has promised to target District residents for the 100 jobs the two District stores will create." "The DC Department of Employment is currently working with H&M to train unemployed residents for those jobs," he added.

The H&M retail stores sell high-fashion low-priced clothing and apparel for men, women and children, as well as a maternity line. The other stores in the region will be located at Arundel Mills in Maryland, and at Tysons Corner Center, the Dulles Town Center, Manassas Mall and Potomac Mills in Virginia.