It is the end of an era for Northeast Washington, D.C. After more than 40 years, the Safeway at Hechinger Mall in Northeast D.C. is set to close its doors for the final time on May 16, 2026. Its pharmacy will close earlier, on April 1. The announcement has blindsided loyal customers, rattled Ward 5 residents, and reignited the national conversation about the growing food desert crisis sweeping through America's urban communities.

🛒 Closure Quick Facts:
Store Address: 1601 Maryland Ave NE, Washington DC 20002  |  Store Closure: May 16, 2026 (no later than)  |  Pharmacy Closure: April 1, 2026  |  Years in Service: 40+ years  |  Parent Company: Albertsons Companies

Why Is the Safeway Hechinger Mall Closing?

Safeway said in a statement: "Like all retailers, we are constantly evaluating our store footprint and have to look at every angle of the business. This includes our real estate portfolio. We are coming to the end of our lease at this location, and have made the decision to reinvest our resources into other existing stores."

The official statement points to a lease expiry as the primary trigger — but the story is more layered than that. Safeway did not cite crime or theft as a reason, but Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) crime statistics show recent reports of theft, assaults with deadly weapons, and burglaries in the area. Some shoppers say they believe crime could be another factor — "The lady who works at Safeway told me people are stealing. They can't make no money," said one regular shopper. A lease end, declining revenues, rising operational costs, and a shifting retail landscape have together made this once-beloved community anchor commercially unviable for Albertsons' portfolio strategy.

🛒 Community Impact: Safeway Hechinger Mall closure  |  Northeast DC food desert  |  Ward 5 DC grocery store closing 2026  |  DC Streetcar closing March 31 2026

A Double Blow for Ward 5: Safeway AND the DC Streetcar Gone

The timing could hardly be worse for Ward 5 residents. The Safeway closure follows the closure of the shopping centre's Dollar Store earlier this year. ANC Commissioner Charquinta McCray noted: "With the DC Streetcar closing March 31, we're working with the city and property management to understand next steps and will share updates soon." T he convergence of three closures in rapid succession — the Dollar Store, the DC Streetcar service along H Street, and now Safeway — has left the Hechinger Mall neighbourhood dramatically hollowed out and residents facing a genuine transportation-plus-food-access double crisis.

Shopper Donniel Bush, a 30-plus-year Safeway regular, captured the local mood perfectly: "It should be another supermarket here. We're just trying to get as much as we can before May 16th." < /p>

What Grocery Stores Remain Near Hechinger Mall?

For the foreseeable future, Aldi will be the only grocery store in the immediate area — which community leaders recognise is not sufficient to meet the community's needs. Other grocery stores in the broader area include an Aldi at 901 17th St NE and a Whole Foods Market and Giant supermarket along the H Street corridor — both requiring transportation that will be more difficult for elderly and car-free residents once the streetcar ends service. The D20 Metrobus route will continue to serve the area, providing the primary public transit lifeline for grocery access once Safeway and the streetcar are gone.

🛒 Staff & Replacement Update: Safeway employees reassigned 2026  |  Hechinger Mall replacement grocer sought  |  Safeway DC store count drops to 11

What Happens to Safeway Staff?

Safeway confirmed: "Associates who are interested in remaining with the company will have the opportunity to be reassigned to open positions at nearby stores." Some staff may remain temporarily at the Hechinger Mall location to support closure operations beyond May 16. Safeway has a dozen stores in Washington D.C., and this closure will drop that number to 11. Th e loss of the Hechinger Mall location is not merely a business decision — it is the erasure of four decades of employment, community gathering, and daily neighbourhood routine for thousands of Northeast DC residents.

Part of a Much Bigger National Retail Collapse

This latest shutdown is part of a broader pattern. Albertsons has closed dozens of stores across its portfolio, with at least 30 locations shuttered in 2025 and additional closures already underway in 2026 — spanning Safeway, Carrs, Vons, United Supermarkets, and Albertsons-branded locations. Th e macro picture is stark: U.S. retailers are expected to close approximately 7,900 stores in 2026, down 4.5% from 2025, while 5,500 new locations are projected to open — a net loss of 2,400 physical retail locations.

For communities like Northeast DC's Ward 5 — already navigating housing pressures, transit cuts, and rising costs — the Safeway closure is not just a retail statistic. It is a lived crisis. As TheStreet's retail analyst noted, "For consumers, the fallout means fewer choices, diminished access, and, in some cases, higher prices."

Is There Hope? Hechinger Mall Seeks a Replacement Grocer

The H Street/Hechinger Mall ownership group is actively seeking a replacement grocer, but no confirmed progress has been made yet. Co mmunity advocates and Ward 5's ANC Commissioners are pushing city officials and the DC Office of Planning to prioritise a full-service supermarket replacement — not just a convenience store or limited-assortment discounter. For authoritative data on food access deserts in urban America and their economic impact on low-income communities, the USDA Economic Research Service's Food Access Research Atlas provides the most comprehensive publicly available mapping of food access challenges across every US neighbourhood — a vital resource for policymakers and community advocates fighting to bring grocery access back to areas like Hechinger Mall.