Grosvenor has donated a 1,251 sq. ft. retail unit at 5211 Wisconsin Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. to be used as a pop-up bookstore for regional non-profit organization, Turning the Page.

The short-term, complimentary lease originated through a partnership between Grosvenor and the Friendship Heights Alliance; the pop-up bookstore will be open from May 5 to June 4.

Turning the Page engages parents to become empowered participants in their children’s education and helps ensure families of partner schools can access educational resources, such as books and community learning opportunities.

Since 1998, Turning the Page has engaged and supported more than 7,000 D.C. public school families and has distributed more than 125,000 new children’s books to these families’ homes. To raise critical funds for their programs, they collect donated used books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl - of all genres and for all ages – and sell the donated items through pop-up bookstores and markets such as this latest one at 5211 Wisconsin Avenue NW.

“Turning the Page’s pop-up bookstore will not only activate our building and the surrounding neighbourhood but will also raise needed dollars for the critical programs Turning the Page provides,” said Khash Bayani, Senior Investment Manager of Grosvenor’s D.C. office. “Grosvenor is committed to supporting education and we’re excited to promote such an incredible organization while also bringing the local community together around books.”

“Attracting cultural events and neighborhood-serving retail to activate unique spaces has been a key priority of the Alliance over the past year,” adds Rachel L. Davis, Director of Marketing & Placemaking with the Friendship Heights Alliance. “We believe this bookstore will resonate with the local community and complement the diverse retail offerings already available in the area.”

The Friendship Heights Alliance is coordinating several community events with Turning the Page, who attended two of the Friendship Heights Makers Markets last year, bringing upwards of 2,500 people to the neighbourhood. 

As part of its placemaking initiatives, the Alliance partnered with Grosvenor earlier this year to install a colourful seating arrangement of Adirondack chairs, bistro tables, and flower pots outside Grosvenor’s 5225 Wisconsin Avenue property. The Alliance is planning similar activations to highlight the pop-up bookstore at 5211 Wisconsin.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to open a new pop-up bookstore in the Friendship Heights community and raise valuable funds for our mission of connecting parents and families with educational resources to advance student learning.” said Jason King, President of Turning the Page. “We thank Grosvenor and the Friendship Alliance for their support and look forward to helping bring the community together around a shared love of books and reading!”

Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shared by The U.S. Department of Education states that children with access to print reading materials have better literacy outcomes; also, that students who report having more books in their homes performed better academically. 

In line with Grosvenor’s long-term commitment to deliver social benefit in addition to commercial and environmental success, last month, the firm also donated retail space in San Francisco to benefit a local non-profit and showcase local artists. 

Grosvenor has owned and operated property throughout the Washington area since 1986 and has developed notable residential mixed-use projects such as F1RST in Navy Yard, District Apartments in the U Street Corridor, City Homes in Eckington and Central in Silver Spring, MD. 

In 2022, Grosvenor acquired a 237-unit value-add residential building in North Bethesda, where they will execute a sustainability-focused repositioning programme.

Grosvenor is also currently building a 240-unit residential development at 340 Morse Street in Union Market and is working on a residential and school mixed-use redevelopment project in Georgetown.