Former DOJ attorney opens eco-friendly boutique in Hyattsville
A former DOJ civil-rights attorney has opened De Novo on Baltimore Avenue, adding consignment retail and another sustainability-minded shop to Hyattsville’s Route 1 strip.
A former Department of Justice civil-rights attorney has opened De Novo at 5101 Baltimore Ave., turning a triangle-shaped storefront south of Franklins into a consignment boutique built around women’s clothing, shoes, handbags and local artisan goods. Erin Meehan Richmond spent 24 years with the Justice Department before leaving in September and shifting into retail.
De Novo is a neighborhood consignment shop in Hyattsville’s historic Arts District, and Richmond built the business around a lifelong interest in secondhand style. The store’s mission is to create a welcoming, fun space that prioritizes quality over quantity and celebrates style, sustainability and community. Customers can bring in clothing to sell on commission, giving the shop a resale model that refreshes inventory while keeping more garments in circulation.
Prince George’s County sustainability guidance encourages buying secondhand items from reuse stores to reduce manufacturing demand and keep usable goods out of landfills.
Richmond’s path to the shop is unusual for a small-business owner. During her DOJ career, she worked as a senior trial attorney on claims involving housing and sexual harassment, then spent months thinking about what came next before deciding to build something hands-on and community centered. She chose the name De Novo from a Latin legal term meaning anew, a nod to both her legal background and the idea of starting over.
Route 1 is Hyattsville’s historic main street, and the city’s business page points to a revitalization tax credit along with the Commercial Facade Improvement program and the Corridor Investment Program as tools to support storefronts. A 2025 local history report credits the Gateway Arts District with funneling $500 million in new investments along Route 1.
The SoHy Design District launched officially in September 2025 and now includes more than 50 small businesses stretching from the 4700 block of Rhode Island Avenue to the 6000 block of Baltimore Avenue. The downtown Route 1 strip also has recurring events such as the Summer Jam Series and the Annual Downtown Hyattsville Arts Festival.
De Novo was filed as DE Novo Consignments, LLC with the Maryland Secretary of State on Aug. 4, 2025.
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