Safeway took over an existing grocery store at 4865 MacArthur Boulevard NW in 1952. That store had opened in the early 1940s. It is possible that the original store that operated here was a Sanitary Grocery. Safeway took over Sanitary in 1928 but did not convert the stores to Safeway until later. Safeway expanded the store seen here in 1956. If you look closely behind the "W" in the Safeway logo on the store you can see similar horizontal brick lines like those to the right of the Starbucks logo. That is the division between the original store and the expansion.
In the mid-2010s, this site became the focus of potential redevelopment. A condo development was met with significant resistance from the neighborhood. From the start of potential redevelopment plans, Safeway has said that it would not be a part of those plans. Safeway sparked controversy when it attempted to insert clauses into the plans that would prevent another food retailer from operating at the redeveloped site. Safeway had attempted to insert this clause because it owned the site and was looking to ground lease to whoever would complete the redevelopment. Surrounding areas were also concerned about the area becoming a food desert. The closest remaining Safeway stores are over a mile away. There is also a Trader Joe's in Georgetown.
Safeway closed here on May 4, 2019. At the time of the store's closure, it was the longest running Safeway store on the east cost. Construction started in 2021 on a memory care complex for seniors. There is still a possibility that a grocery store will be a part of the ground level retail in the complex.
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