LOS ANGELES, CA (August 1, 2013) – Whole Foods Market – the world’s leading organic and natural foods supermarket – joined Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar and Carmel Partners in announcing plans to open a new 42,000 square-foot store at Carmel Partners' 700-unit luxury apartment project located at 770 Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Downtown Los Angeles store is scheduled to open in 2015 and will create 200 quality jobs for the local community. For 16 consecutive years, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine.
“We are honored to finally be opening a store in Downtown LA,” said Patrick Bradley, president, Whole Foods Market Southern Pacific Region. “We've been looking for the right space for close to 10 years as we know that access to natural and organic foods in this neighborhood has been challenging. It makes us very happy to know that we will be filling this need. And, we look forward to working closely with the local community as well as Councilmember Huizar'soffice as we develop a store that delivers exactly what the community wants and needs.”
The revitalization of Downtown Los Angeles has resulted in a population boon from just 10,000 residents 10 years ago to nearly 50,000 now calling Downtown LA home. “Downtown Los Angeles is like a city within the city that needs a diverse range of services – including grocery stores. Bringing Whole Foods Market to Downtown is long-awaited news that represents a major coup for Downtown and is an investment in this rapidly growing urban market,” said Councilmember José Huizar. “We look forward to continuing our joint partnership with the developer and city departments to ensure that Whole Foods Market comes to Downtown as swiftly as possible.”
Whole Foods Market announced signing a lease with Carmel Partners for Downtown Los Angeles, yesterday during its third quarter earnings call on July 31, 2013. “We are excited to welcome Whole Foods Market to our project in Downtown Los Angeles,” said Ron Zeff, CEO of Carmel Partners. “We see this as a wonderful step in the continuing evolution of LA's Downtown and believe that the Whole Foods Market will be an outstanding amenity for the neighborhood and our residents.”
