(Washington, DC) –

Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development celebrated the grand opening of Lidl’s first store in Washington, DC, located at Skyland Town Center in Ward 7. Lidl, recently ranked a top U.S. grocer by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, will be the first full-service grocery store to open East of the River in more than a decade.

“For years, the community in Ward 7 has made clear what they want to see at Skyland Town Center – retail, housing, and dining. I promised we would deliver, and we are keeping that promise,” said Mayor Bowser. “Today, I am grateful for the residents and community leaders who never gave up on Skyland, and I’m grateful to Lidl for helping us accomplish something that hasn’t been done in 15 years: opening a full-service supermarket East of the River.”

The opening of Lidl is a significant milestone for the Skyland project, which is adding hundreds of jobs, bringing in significant tax revenue for the District, and catalyzing additional private development in the area. In the past two years, the Mayor has funded new fast casual dining options at Skyland through the Food Access Fund, celebrated the opening of the first Starbucks drive-thru location in Washington, DC located at Skyland, cut the ribbon on 263 new homes at The Crest, and celebrated the opening of the community-inspired Chase Bank branch model at Skyland.

“Mayor Bowser remains committed to expanding food access points East of the River with new tools like the Food Access Fund and NourishDC,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “Skyland is another example of a transformative project fueled by Tax Increment Financing, and now we are here delivering Lidl’s first store in DC and creating new jobs and access to fresh and affordable food for residents. We will not stop this work until we eradicate food deserts in Wards 7 and 8.”

Lidl Food Market continues Mayor Bowser’s work to expand food access, create new employment opportunities, and stimulate economic development in neighborhoods East of the River. Over the years, Mayor Bowser has made it her mission to eradicate food deserts by investing in programming to incentivize businesses to create food access points in Ward 7 and 8. This includes $73 million invested in the Food Access Fund, additional investments in the Neighborhood Prosperity Fund, and changes to the Supermarket Tax Incentive. Lidl at Skyland is bringing 45 jobs to the community – jobs that pay above minimum wage and offer benefits, including healthcare for all positions and a 401K with a company match. Ninety percent of Lidl employees are residents of Wards 7 and 8.

“As former Mayor, and since my return to the Council as Ward 7 Councilmember, I have worked long and hard to bring more full-service grocery stores to Ward 7 and elsewhere on the East End of the District,” said Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent C. Gray. “The first to come, Lidl at the Skyland Town Center in Ward 7, which is also the first Lidl in the District, will provide residents with greater food access, healthier food options and serve as a vital retail anchor. I am excited about the valuable location the East End provides for retail and hospitality opportunities. Moreover, I am pleased that Lidl has invested in our community and led the way, coupled with significant breakthroughs earlier this year for the long-stalled development of Capitol Gateway. The grand opening of Lidl as another full-service grocery store is a great gain for Ward 7, as we continue to address pernicious food deserts on the East End of the District and further improve the lives of Ward 7 and District residents.”

“We are thrilled to be opening in Washington, DC and investing in Wards 7 & 8 with our beautiful store and incredible team,” said Lars-Oliver Hamann, Lidl US Regional Vice President. “For us, serving the community begins with being part of the community and I’m very pleased we’ve built a team with more than 90 percent of our team members being from Wards 7 & 8. This Lidl Food Market is going to provide high quality, fresh food and groceries to the community at the best value around every day, and we look forward to bringing our approach to more areas of D.C., in Columbia Heights and Tenleytown, in the future.”

Lidl established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington, Virginia in 2015 and today operates more than 20 stores nearby in Maryland and Virginia. The store offers an award-winning assortment of fresh, high-quality products, including produce, a fresh bakery, beef, poultry, and fish, as well as a wide array of non-food household products that drop in stores on a weekly basis. Lidl has been repeatedly recognized for its shopping experience. In back-to-back editions, Food & Wine Magazine ranked Lidl in its top 10 U.S. supermarket rankings.

Social Media:
Mayor Bowser Twitter: @MayorBowser
Mayor Bowser Instagram: @Mayor_Bowser
Mayor Bowser Facebook: facebook.com/MayorMurielBowser
Mayor Bowser YouTube: https://www.bit.ly/eomvideos