The Safeway store at the Watergate buildings is shutting down this Sunday.

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After 45 years doing business here, the Safeway inside the infamous complex along Virginia Avenue NW will close for good.

The store is relatively small with just 16,000 square feet. Its lease expires next month and the closure is part of Safeway's plan to focus on updating and building bigger stores in the region.

Safeway's departure will leave this corner of the city with only a Trader Joes and a Whole Foods.

“We're still all living on a student budget and its pretty difficult to kind of keep your budget balanced when you’re shopping at such a specialty store all the time,” said GW student Hayley Burgess.

More than 1,300 neighbors signed a petition this year to keep the Watergate Safeway open. Sheryll Gordon was sad to see the store close.

“They’re nice and friendly,” she said.

Safeway said all employees will be placed at other area stores. In the meantime, neighborhood leaders say there have been informal talks to attract another grocery store to the space.