Greyhound moving on out, eventually...

I've always wondered how the Greyhound station would fit in with all of the developments going up around it. It's been there way before "NoMa" became a real estate buzzword. At the least, I thought the station would be spruced up as its run-down state become even more glaring next to the new buildings going up.

Now I know that it's up for sale and that in fact, selling the property and moving Greyhound inside Union Station has been discussed for some time. It's also been reported that there is a lot of excitement (at least among real estate people) about Greyhound's decision to sell because its location is considered to be a key part of NoMa's redevelopment. The city would like to see First Street NE as the heart of NoMa and as a neighborhood retail center where NoMa residents can hang out.

It gets easier to visualize NoMa as a vibrant business district as we hear more about big leases being signed, etc. but I still can't visualize it as a "neighborhood." Maybe when the residential properties are completed and the Harris Teeter opens, it'll be easier to. But for now, a NoMa neighborhood is still a ways away with none of the residential properties finished (have they even started any of those buildings?) and with Greyhound still planning to lease back once they find a buyer.