AndreaGail
27th July 2011, 07:28 PM
word is they will change the name to "hoe foods" for this location
Whole Foods made it official today: The upscale, organic-food grocery chain will build a store in Detroit’s Midtown district.
The 20,000 square foot location, slated to open in 2013, will be located north of Mack Avenue between Woodward and John R.
“Detroit’s food scene is impressive and vibrant. Whole Foods Market is excited to soon be part of the positive energy and momentum as a true community partner on the ground,” said Red Elk Banks, Michigan’s executive operations coordinator for Whole Foods Market.
“We look forward to celebrating the great producers, food artisans and farmers in the area, giving them a retail space for their quality products while ensuring access to all-natural foods.”
Whole Foods estimated it will add approximately 60-75 additional jobs in the area with its store.
The coming of Whole Foods has been viewed as grocery Nirvana by some shoppers, and as evidence of a growing local food economy that includes a revitalized Eastern Market and the growth of the urban agriculture movement.
Reacting to the news late today, residents and workers in Midtown said they were delighted that an upscale grocer like Whole Foods was coming to a city long suffering from a lack of enough retail.
Angela Kiel, 25, a hotel chef who lives in Midtown, was delighted that Whole Foods will be close to where she lives, although she wondered about Whole Foods’ reputation as being relatively high priced.
“I’m super-excited. ... I’m totally geeked about it,” she said, although she wondered about the price tags on those long-coveted groceries. “I’m a little worried. It might be too high priced, so for the average person, it’d be a negative if it’s as high-priced as in Troy.”
“There are limited places where you can go for lunch,” said Cindy Gilmer, 55, of Dearborn Heights, a secretary for the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, which is headquartered near Mack and Woodward. “I’ve worked here for 13 years. There’s only McDonalds. I know people in this building would be thrilled.”
And Clyde Rhodes, who lives and works in Midtown, sees Whole Foods as bringing healthy competition for lunchtime and grocery dollars.
“It’s cool,” said the 60-year-old security guard stationed at one of the nearby medical buildings. “When there’s more than one in an area, they compete for your patronage. ... If they have the right stuff, I’ll go there myself – chicken fried, barbecue, something with steak.”
But long-time local grocers said it was unfair that the city seemed to favoring the big-name retailer over grocers who have served Detroit for many years. The local Chaldean News has reported that incentives worth at least $4.2 million might go to the deal to make it happen.
Whole Foods said today that any incentives would go to the developer of the site, Peter Cummings, and not to the store itself.
Michael Sarafa, co-publisher of the Chaldean News, criticized the potential tax credits and other incentives as unfair.
“It is disheartening, to say the least, to witness the extent that city and state officials have resorted to legalized bribes and begging simply to get the attention of the major retailers,” he wrote in an article in the Chaldean News.
http://www.freep.com/article/20110727/BUSINESS06/110727041/It-s-official-Whole-Foods-open-store-Detroit-s-Midtown-2013?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE
Whole Foods made it official today: The upscale, organic-food grocery chain will build a store in Detroit’s Midtown district.
The 20,000 square foot location, slated to open in 2013, will be located north of Mack Avenue between Woodward and John R.
“Detroit’s food scene is impressive and vibrant. Whole Foods Market is excited to soon be part of the positive energy and momentum as a true community partner on the ground,” said Red Elk Banks, Michigan’s executive operations coordinator for Whole Foods Market.
“We look forward to celebrating the great producers, food artisans and farmers in the area, giving them a retail space for their quality products while ensuring access to all-natural foods.”
Whole Foods estimated it will add approximately 60-75 additional jobs in the area with its store.
The coming of Whole Foods has been viewed as grocery Nirvana by some shoppers, and as evidence of a growing local food economy that includes a revitalized Eastern Market and the growth of the urban agriculture movement.
Reacting to the news late today, residents and workers in Midtown said they were delighted that an upscale grocer like Whole Foods was coming to a city long suffering from a lack of enough retail.
Angela Kiel, 25, a hotel chef who lives in Midtown, was delighted that Whole Foods will be close to where she lives, although she wondered about Whole Foods’ reputation as being relatively high priced.
“I’m super-excited. ... I’m totally geeked about it,” she said, although she wondered about the price tags on those long-coveted groceries. “I’m a little worried. It might be too high priced, so for the average person, it’d be a negative if it’s as high-priced as in Troy.”
“There are limited places where you can go for lunch,” said Cindy Gilmer, 55, of Dearborn Heights, a secretary for the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, which is headquartered near Mack and Woodward. “I’ve worked here for 13 years. There’s only McDonalds. I know people in this building would be thrilled.”
And Clyde Rhodes, who lives and works in Midtown, sees Whole Foods as bringing healthy competition for lunchtime and grocery dollars.
“It’s cool,” said the 60-year-old security guard stationed at one of the nearby medical buildings. “When there’s more than one in an area, they compete for your patronage. ... If they have the right stuff, I’ll go there myself – chicken fried, barbecue, something with steak.”
But long-time local grocers said it was unfair that the city seemed to favoring the big-name retailer over grocers who have served Detroit for many years. The local Chaldean News has reported that incentives worth at least $4.2 million might go to the deal to make it happen.
Whole Foods said today that any incentives would go to the developer of the site, Peter Cummings, and not to the store itself.
Michael Sarafa, co-publisher of the Chaldean News, criticized the potential tax credits and other incentives as unfair.
“It is disheartening, to say the least, to witness the extent that city and state officials have resorted to legalized bribes and begging simply to get the attention of the major retailers,” he wrote in an article in the Chaldean News.
http://www.freep.com/article/20110727/BUSINESS06/110727041/It-s-official-Whole-Foods-open-store-Detroit-s-Midtown-2013?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE