Another athletic gear purveyor is planting its flag in Georgetown: Under Armour Brand House will open in the former Nathans space at Wisconsin and M street NW, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.
The source said War Horse LLC, a real estate development firm started by Scott Plank, a former Under Armour executive and brother of founder Kevin Plank, has bought the 6,662-square-foot building at 3150 M St. NW. The building was the longtime home of Georgetown watering hole Nathans and is now occupied by Serendipity 3 ice cream shop and cafe.
Scott Plank’s firm plans to lease the building to the Baltimore-based performance athletic clothing company to open a signature Under Armour Brand House retail shop.
The sale, confirmed by two other sources, has not been recorded in land records yet, but a corporation named 3150 M Street LLC was formed in the District on Feb. 18, according to D.C. records. Grossberg, Yochelson, Fox & Beyda LLP, the law firm listed in the incorporation documents, declined to comment. The Georgetowner reported recently that the building, assessed at $1.48 million, sold for $12.2 million.
Scott Plank, who left Under Armour in 2012 to launch War Horse, has not returned a call or email for comment. Under Armour spokeswoman Diane Pelkey said the company has not signed a lease at the Georgetown location.
It’s unclear what will happen with Serendipity 3 in this scenario; the New York-based ice ream novelty restaurant opened in Georgetown in 2011 after the closure of Nathan’s. Attempts to reach Serendipity 3’s owners, Britt Swan and Rodrigo Garcia, have proved unsuccessful thus far.
Under Armour, which has been seeking space in the District for years, has four other Brand House stores including one in Tysons Corner Center that opened in November. The first Brand House opened in Baltimore in 2013, and at the time, Under Armour executives made no secret of their desire to open more locations.
In the Georgetown athletic-wear scene, Under Armour would go head-to-head with the Nike store two blocks away at 3040 M St. NW, as well as a Lululemon Athletica and the Athleta brand from the Gap Inc. family of stores.
