Whole Foods Facing an Uphill Battle in Gowanus
It’s been a tough slog for Whole Foods in Brooklyn already and the organic grocery giant hasn’t even started construction on the 68,000-square-foot market it wants to build at the corner of 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue in Gowanus. The store, which will include 37,000-square-feet of underground retail space, can built as-of-right (once the environmental…
It’s been a tough slog for Whole Foods in Brooklyn already and the organic grocery giant hasn’t even started construction on the 68,000-square-foot market it wants to build at the corner of 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue in Gowanus. The store, which will include 37,000-square-feet of underground retail space, can built as-of-right (once the environmental clean-up is complete), so no approval from community groups is required; that doesn’t mean there’s been a lack opinions voiced. “They’ve wrapped themselves in the cloak of being green and organic, but they’re certainly not acting that way,” said Eric McClure, campaign coordinator of Park Slope Neighbors. “Their talk is not matching their walk.” Another local group, Green Roof Brooklyn, says it supports the arrival of Whole Foods in general but wants to company to cut about 140 parking spaces and add a green roof to help ease pollution in the area. A third group, Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus, is critical of how the environmental stage of the project has been going, claiming that the process is pushing benzene and other contaminants into the underground water supply. Whole Foods paints the naysayers as a small minority of the thousands of residents who will be served by the store. We’re curious to know how the Brownstoner community feels about this one. Take this quick poll to let us know. Update: As of about 2:15 today, 120 people have taken the poll. The results so far? Over half of respondents say that they are “psyched for the Whole Foods plan as is and think the critics should shut up and get out of the way” while about one third say they “welcome the idea of an upscale market in the area but have concerns about the environmental impact of the project.”
Whole Foods Meets Opposition in Brooklyn [Austin Statesman] GMAP
Whole Foods Poll [Survey Monkey]
Photo by leahlb
But WF’s isn’t building the most cost effecient building as one writer states. Their “cellar” retail space, over 60,000 sq.ft. will be very costly to construct inside the pond and will most likely cause many construction delays as they work to keep the water out of the cellar pond.
And let’s not forget that the tax payers are covering for this.
It’s not just the contaminated soil!
Have any of you actually seen what comes out of the Park Slope sewage overflows located near the Whole Foods site? The DEP may have a plan to reduce sewage flow from the Baltic St CSO, but they aren’t doing a thing about the crap dumped from Park Slope pipes.
Come on down and take in the aroma of the canal near Whole Foods site. Seems that Whole Foods big marketing idea here is to attract the likes of Shrek and Fiona to the swamp-of-all-swamps. Who else would enjoy the experience of buying organic food while taking in the air and sites of the toilet contents floating by. (At least Fairway has a real river out their door.)
Sper,
There’s nothing wrong with advocating for a better Whole Foods design. It’s a free country.
Just the same, it’s a free country and the developer can build whatever the hell he likes, with or without community input. Of course, WF wants to build the best store for the lowest cost – they’re in business to make money.
As a Carroll Gardens resident I pretty much agree with BeReasonable. However, I am very concerned about a store who touts fresh, healthy , wholesome foods built over contaminated soil. I lived here all my life and that area was always considered hopeless…..has it all suddenly disappeared…..has WF found a way to dispose of it….I wonder….I wonder if I could enjoy food that is stored in such a place. I’d like to know more>
As a Carroll Gardens resident I pretty much agree with BeReasonable. However, I am very concerned about a store who touts fresh, healthy , wholesome foods built over contaminated soil. I lived here all my life and that area was always considered hopeless…..has it all suddenly disappeared…..has WF found a way to dispose of it….I wonder….I wonder if I could enjoy food that is stored in such a place. I’d like to know more>
I don’t know why Park Slopers really care about Whole Foods being here or not. You have plenty of choices in supermarkets – organic or not. It’s those of us in Carroll Gardens (where it’s actually being built) who will benefit most from Whole Foods. Since the Key Food (which was a disgusting store) closed on Court Street & 2nd Place, there is NO supermarket in Carroll Gardens. We have no choice but to drive to Pathmark or Fairway.
At least with Whole Foods, people can walk across 3rd Street and get groceries. I welcome a decent supermarket with good quality merchandise.
As for the parking and traffic issues, people, have you been to 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street? It’s a major thoroughfare in an industrial/commercial area. Come on! I’d rather have grocery trucks unloading in a parking lot on 3rd Avenue, than double parking on Union Street in front of the Food Co-op.
How the FUCK is Whole Foods in Brooklyn a “coup”? That’s a pretty unique amenity in this country, & city… CELEBRATE!!
Ya’ll should look into the CORRUPTION $$$ that kicked out Red Hook Crushers too, so Whole Foods could locate nearby.
You “leafy block” asswipes may not care where the UNLICENSED contractors who do your goddamn renovations drop that crap but those of who suffer YOUR garbage in the streets do.
Wake up already, goddamnit. Whole Foods = Wal Mart (at least Costco are quasi-lefties believe it or not.)
CoupCoup
South Brooklyn
It’s not WF’s job to completely bare the burden of 150 years worth of contamination. The state should really be doing that out of simple obligation to Brooklyn residents.
Ya, sure!! <<>>
The Whole Foods site will only be cleaned to a standard for it’s M2 zoning designation. The company stated that to cleanup the site further is too costly and as stated that as long as they “cap” the contimination under the store, those using the store will be protected from them.
The language of “cleanup” is being missed used for this brownfield. There is no “cleaning” going on here. The plan is to leave the polution in the ground where it will continue to be moved around by ground water and tide currents.