More Delays and Changes at Whole Foods
The health food business is a little less healthy these days. The Wall Street Journal reports that Whole Foods posted a 31 percent net income loss last quarter and is cutting back on store openings. So what does that mean for our highly anticipated store on 3rd and 3rd? Not sure. We asked for details…
The health food business is a little less healthy these days. The Wall Street Journal reports that Whole Foods posted a 31 percent net income loss last quarter and is cutting back on store openings. So what does that mean for our highly anticipated store on 3rd and 3rd? Not sure. We asked for details from Whole Foods, who emailed us this response from spokesman Fred Shank: We are currently working on revising our plans for our Brooklyn store and hope to be able to announce updated details in the near future. We remain extremely excited about bringing the first Whole Foods Market to Brooklyn. (The Brooklyn Paper was told the same thing, while Gowanus Lounge recently reported the first activity on the site in many moons.) Could the cost of the clean-up be more than the market can bear in this economic environment?
Whole Foods Net Falls 31% in Slow Economy [WSJ]
Whole Foods: Not the Best of Neighbors [Brownstoner]
3rd St. Landmark Crumbling; Is Whole Foods to Blame [Brownstoner]
The loss of Whole Foods would be a tragedy to the neighborhood. The 3rd Avenue is industrial. Does anyone really care if some warehouse is gentrified out? Seriously? Whole Foods would be the precursor and catalyst for a large blossoming development in the PS-CG corridor. Look at any Whole Foods and see how nice the immediate neighborhood becomes.
Regarding the “excessive” parking — what Park Slopers dont seem to understand is that parking would be required for the site until a critical mass was built around it. Build no parking and people have the *perception* that they wont be able to shop there, and simply remove it as an option subliminally. Sixty percent of the area residents have no cars, so as soon as a critical mass of foot traffic was established, the area would blossom. It is a pity to lose this over “too much parking.” Besides, the parking can be removed once enough customers came to the stores, especially once the area developed further. At that point, the parking can be pared down — it would make business sense to do so then.
11271 – Trader Joe’s is coming soon enough. Pipe down…
Cover the canal and install drains. Problem solved?
the friggin company has halted its dividend. if someone honestly thinks that this store is coming any time soon (if ever) then that person is an idiot. or maybe WF is starting work tomorrow via 100% financing secured by projecting cash flows dependent on charging 20 dollars for a potato.
The canal services as a drainage point. It is not an entirely artificial canal, but was a natural waterway that was expanded.
Rain flows down from Mount Prospect and the Heights into that area. Without the canal, flooding would be a real problem.
The city should fill in the canal. Why are we maintaining this fundamentally useless waterway?
The problem Joist is that the area is just not suitable for the type of development that is being talked about. While residential will work on the fringes (Bond Street to the West and Third Ave to the East) – the area adjacent to the canal – are just too polluted and require too much infrastructure to be made suitable for residential (or even a supermarket).
The city should simply maintain almost all canal adjacent property for light industry and establish 1 or 2 corridors (like 3rd St) where a mix of retail, parks and some small residential dev could allow the linking you seek
I just believe that the seemless joining of CG and PS with Gowanus is not realistic and a waste of taxpayer and developer $s. Plus most of the area works well for light industry (especially if the current of real estate speculation were removed)
yup Floor…and then the area turns into a “hot sheet red light district” Let the good time roll.
Navy Yard! Navy Yard! Navy Yard!