A Look Inside DC's REI Store at Uline Arena

• October 18th 2016

by Nena Perry-Brown

It’s been a long time coming, but the redeveloped Uline Arena will finally open later this week with the arrival of a new REI store. On Tuesday, UrbanTurf got an early look at the space before it opens its doors.

The arena, located at 1140 3rd Street NE (map) is one of the most recognizable and largest anchors of the NoMA neighborhood. It hosted President Eisenhower’s inaugural ball, and is perhaps best known as the site of the Beatles’ first concert in the U.S.

REI was announced as the ground-floor tenant of the redevelopment back in early 2015, but owner Douglas Development entertained several ideas for the structure over the years, including, at one point, an “Eataly-like” concept. In addition to the 51,000 square-foot store, there will also be 150,000 square feet of office space.

The REI location will function as one of a handful of architecturally-bold flagship locations of the recreational sporting goods store — and one of three locations to also include a coffee shop. The multilevel space was partially created by an excavation that maximizes natural light in the space and creates an outdoor courtyard that highlights the arena’s original arches. There are garage doors which can open the space to the store’s interior when weather permits.

Several details referencing the Arena’s heyday are featured throughout the store, with old concert posters wrapping pillars and plastered along a wall by the garage entrance — including a reproduced poster from the Beatles concert. Another wall is composed of slabs of the original basketball court flooring and is decorated with courtside seating from that era. The LEED Gold-certified building also incorporates reclaimed wood from ship cargo holders and rusted corrugated tin from old roofs.

More photos below.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/a_first_look_inside_dcs_rei_store_at_uline_arena/11794.