Politics & Prose, one of Washington, D.C.’s most popular local independent bookstores, first opened a small store at 5010 Connecticut Avenue NW in 1984 before moving across the street to 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW in the summer of 1989. Over the following decades, the flagship store continued to expand, eventually taking up three contiguous storefronts, totaling 11,500 square feet. Now, there are plans to expand the space even further by taking over a fourth storefront space.
While adding approximately 3,500 square feet to the store, Politics & Prose will be able to use the space for retail with an additional checkout desk and a skylight. There will also be offices for over 20 employees, a break room, and extra storage space. The offices are expected to deliver by late January 2018 with the retail space opened by February 2018.
In a statement, Politics & Prose co-owner Bradley Graham said, “[This] will also allow us to give up one of two condo units that we currently rent a few doors up the block from the store where many of our office staff currently work, so they will all come under one roof.”
Graham further added that one condo will remain, to be rented for accounting staff and off-site staff. The marketing and event staff in the second condo will become a part of the enlarged main store.
The storefront that Politics & Prose has purchased was previously a Regal Custom Cleaners.
Recently, in October 2017, Politics & Prose opened a brand new location at The Wharf in the Southwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. There are also plans to open a new store in Northeast’s Union Market in 2018. The Union Market location was originally slated to open this fall, but construction delays have postponed the project.
• Politics & Prose in D.C. To Expand Flagship Store [American Booksellers Association]
• Store History [Politics & Prose]
• Politics and Prose to open new bookstores at The Wharf, Union Market [Curbed DC]