Midtown Whole Foods rendering

**ghettopalmetto** · June-06-12, 08:30 AM

Awesome to see such a high-quality food retailer pursuing a Detroit location. Even more awesome since Whole Foods likes to buy a lot from local producers.

Pathetic that the City's Lowest Common Denominator zoning regulations could permit such a bullshit site plan. Especially since this particular retailer is usually more-than-willing to accommodate local design standards.

**Mackinaw** · June-07-12, 08:44 PM

Perfectly said, ghettopalmetto.

Gistok, it is nice to be back. Law practice took me away too much. I'll try to stay tuned in more.

This is a one block walk from a planned light rail spot, to reiterate. Not ON Woodward, but obviously the sort of walking distance that we would like people to do without thinking. Hopefully in a few years all that parking won't be necessary.

**wolverine** · June-07-12, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by andrew.w

Even here in Chicago, the grocery stores all pretty much have parking. The independent grocer at the end of the block has a parking lot in the rear [[it's in a building built in the 1910s or 20s), the Trader Joe's a few blocks away [[new building) has a parking deck on the roof. But even here you will find stores with big parking lots out front. There is one on Division like this, despite the otherwise dense location.

The Dominicks is awful, I agree. It was built where highrise projects used to be there were zero expectations in a start-over type of environment. Now a Target is going up next door and they are being held to entirely different standards. They won't be allowed to construct surface parking and all of it will be contained inside.

Again, I don't have a problem with grocery stores having parking in urban locations so as long as it's concealed or rooftop. I mean, Detroit pioneered this with Cobo Center!!

BTW, andrew, I'm not sure if you were talking about Dominicks or Jewel, but the Jewel with the surface lot at Clark and Division is a goner. Pretty much everyone in the northern section of the 42nd Ward is aware of this:

The image is confusing because some how Clark street went from 2 lanes to 5, lol.

**buckster1986** · November-26-12, 03:11 PM

I drove by this weekend...this is the front of the building facing west toward The Ellington [[Woodward)...

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**MidTownMs** · November-26-12, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by EASTSIDE CAT 67-83

Will there be Bullet proof glass at the counter? I know I know but I couldn't resist

I wonder if they're going to put the items they think people will steal on lock down like the other stores do. The assumption is not only are the customers going to steal but they know what they are going to steal.

**corktownyuppie** · November-26-12, 10:37 PM

Curious...when Starbucks opened up, everyone hollered about how they'd get burglarized regularly. Have there been incidents at the Woodward/Mack/MLK location?

**Islandman** · November-27-12, 06:49 AM

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There are better ways to integrate parking; we choose not to do it in this city for some reason. I will wager Whole Foods will not need a lot the size of Meijer et al. Here is a grocery store I was able to [[gasp) walk to when I lived in Charlotte. I lived in the building with the blue tinted windows.

They managed to integrate parking, apartments and a grocery store on this block. If it wasn't for the Parking sign you can't even tell that there is parking from this picture.

And just think, no getting snowed on during the winter. And this is in a state with very little inclement weather compared to us.

**gthomas** · January-20-13, 08:24 PM

Look at me NOW!

**TexasT** · January-21-13, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by andrew.w

Even here in Chicago, the grocery stores all pretty much have parking. The independent grocer at the end of the block has a parking lot in the rear [[it's in a building built in the 1910s or 20s), the Trader Joe's a few blocks away [[new building) has a parking deck on the roof. But even here you will find stores with big parking lots out front. There is one on Division like this, despite the otherwise dense location..

Exactly what I was thinking. This was my Whole Foods in Chicago:

**gthomas** · March-01-13, 02:44 PM

**drjeff** · March-01-13, 03:23 PM

Whole Foods Midtown will open June 5:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...xt|FRONTPAGE|s

**gthomas** · March-08-13, 12:14 PM

The signage is going up! Exciting!

**gthomas** · March-08-13, 12:18 PM

**jjw** · March-09-13, 07:39 AM

Whole Foods-Baltimore

**Brian1979** · March-09-13, 09:56 AM

Here in Chicago we have the Southgate Market which has a Whole Foods in it, for parking there is street parking and a two level parking garage with an entrance off of both Roosevelt and Canal.

Even the major supermarket chains like Jewel's and Dominick's have normal parking for their stores, the Jewel's at Wabash and Roosevelt even has the elevated tracks for the green and orange line passing above the parking lot and next to the store.

Some of the big box stores here have their own parking garages like the Target on Clark and Roosevelt. Downtown even has some lots, not on the scale of Detroit though but they can be found.

It would have been nice to see them do street parking or use part of a parking garage or something else though, you don't want buildings setback off the street in an urban setting and parking lots cause this to happen.

**Matt The Deuce** · March-09-13, 01:24 PM

It's the damn dark tinted glass that makes this look like crap. How about open, light and airy?

Look at the Manhattan store linked above...

It's not that hard.

I am happy for the store opening, but this design blows.

**Detroitnerd** · March-09-13, 01:28 PM

Ha. It looks like Greektown Casino with the fake windows!

**gthomas** · March-09-13, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Matt The Deuce

It's the damn dark tinted glass that makes this look like crap. How about open, light and airy?

Look at the Manhattan store linked above...

It's not that hard.

I am happy for the store opening, but this design blows.

Yeah in the day time it will look like that, I've seen it at night with the lights on and you can see all inside from the outside. So its not a complete "solid" dark tint. But, I do agree that it should be "airy" and open.

**buckster1986** · March-09-13, 07:49 PM

Drove by today and snapped a few photos...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=8a231b7684

**Huggybear** · March-10-13, 03:13 AM

I drive by it almost every day. You can see a lot of info on it here:

http://detroit.curbed.com/places/whole-foods-detroit

The building is right on the street line on two sides [[and the lot line on three). The parking area is off the street between Whole Foods and the Ellington. You're not going to build a parking garage [[internal or external) for a supermarket anywhere where you can avoid it: at $18K a spot [[and unlikely to have any customers wanting to pay for parking at a supermarket or drive into a deck for a 20-30 minute quick trip) it would be a losing proposition. You also wouldn't get away with blocking the Ellington's view [[since I'm sure it's the same developer).

Gripe all you want [[doesn't Westborn have the dark low-E glass too?), but then don't let me catch you shopping there. This is a hugely positive development.

HB

**hybridy** · March-14-13, 10:29 PM

before u pay top dollar @ whole foods. call me paranoid

http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=48...5A116C0A3469E3

**Spartan** · April-26-13, 01:10 PM

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ns-whole-foods

Pretty cool: tables made from recycled car hoods

**detmsp** · April-27-13, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

before u pay top dollar @ whole foods. call me paranoid

http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=48...5A116C0A3469E3

If you think there's another store you can shop at that doesn't have genetically modified foods, you're insane. Well over 85% of the corn, soy, alfalfa and canola grown in this country is genetically modified. You're eating it in every meal, whether you shop at whole foods or not.

**chicagoforlife** · April-28-13, 06:13 AM

I think there are about six locations in the city of Chicago. The best one in my opinion for urban design is the one in the Gold Coast off of State and Chicago, I believe it's on either Huron or Superior. The building has a parking garage built over the top of the Whole Foods store and the other side of the building is a 40+ story high rise. Whole Foods has been great at doing their urban stores, there is another one up on the Northside near Wrigley Field that has the building come right out to the sidewalk. I hate walking in urban settings and seeing parking lots and lots of parking, those things aren't suppose to be in the middle of a cities downtown area.

**Honky Tonk** · April-28-13, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by detmsp

If you think there's another store you can shop at that doesn't have genetically modified foods, you're insane. Well over 85% of the corn, soy, alfalfa and canola grown in this country is genetically modified. You're eating it in every meal, whether you shop at whole foods or not.

If that's true, then it's really kinda dumb to pay top $ for products that are actually equal to run-of-the-mill products you can buy cheaper @ Kroger or Trader Joes?