From a Whole Foods Market press release:
Whole Foods Market announced Wednesday that it has signed a lease for a new store in the Gilman District project at 10th and Gilman Streets in Berkeley. The store will be an estimated 30,500 square feet, with a projected opening date of late 2014.
Construction of the Whole Foods Market store will begin late this year once Office Depot, current occupant of the location, relocates across the street.
The developer of the Gilman District project is Foothill Pratt Ventures of El Dorado Hills, California. Avila Design of Berkeley is the lead architect. Interior store design will be led by the Whole Foods Market Northern California construction and design team led by Adam Smith, executive coordinator of design and construction. The new store will be constructed within the existing building and parking at the site will be increased by reconstruction of an adjacent structure.
Construction of the new Office Depot store, within other existing buildings, at the property is already under way.
“Whole Foods Market is excited to open this much-awaited second store in Berkeley," said Rob Twyman,president, Whole Foods Market Northern California and Reno Region. “We look forward to being able to serve more of Berkeley and to working with its residents and city leadership to build a great store that supports the community in a variety of aspects – be it education on healthy eating or donating to local non-profits. Additionally, we’re pleased to announce that we will be bringing approximately 200 new jobs to Berkeley.”
“I’m delighted with the commitment from Whole Foods Market to our vision for the property, restoring to the neighborhood to a vibrant retail shopping district,” said Douglas Wiele, managing partner of Foothill Pratt. “I’d especially like to acknowledge the assistance of the City of Berkeley in getting us through the planning process and under construction. This has been a great team effort.”
Wiele added, “I’m also pleased that Foothill and Whole Foods Market were able to reflect community sustainability values by reusing existing structures and improvements in putting the Gilman District project together, rather than engaging in the construction of new buildings at the site.”
“We are thrilled that Whole Foods Market will be opening a second location in Berkeley,” said Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates. “We are thankful to Whole Foods Market for its investment in our community and for providing new jobs for our residents.”
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Gilman District Whole Foods Market store will be planned for this summer. Ceremony and other store details and employment opportunities will be released as they become available.
Will you welcome the addition of a Whole Foods Market in West Berkeley? Tell us in the comments section beow.
IF: a) you don't like the ongoing absolutely 'stagnant' behavior of Albany?...while those those partially responsible for creating the lawsuits AGAINST the City are ON our Commissions? b) you want the 'very best' for our schools, yet our School 'System' is so $ top-heavy that we don't have decent funds for activities; and the School Board is controlled by the School 'System', not the other way around? (ie. Want to 're-purpose' half a million / year that could help studentls? Easy: Ask the board to tell our School Superintendent (@$360K+/yr) and her Assistant (@$224K+/yr.), to ”grab a parachute; times up! -The 'good-ol-girl-scheme' is over!” Use the 'superior' Piedmont School District as a model for instance. We could hire 8 new teachers on the salary given to our Superintendent alone! THEN: simply WRITE your elected officials regarding your concerns, telling them you expect better: THEY appointed individuals on these impotent commissions in the first place. Let them know it's time to clean house! Express your concern to: cityhall@albanyca.org Don't worry, the names of sluggard Council Members will eventually surface, if they don't 'get' your message. Most of them are on YOUR side... but perhaps not all.
The groups subsequently asked staff and the Mayor to extend the deadline to allow for discussion short of legal action. The City chose not to do so. Consequently the only avenue left to motivate conversation was filing of a suit. All parties continue to participate in good faith in settlement discussions. As is evident from the court record, parties have repeatedly joined to successfully request delay in court proceedings so these discussions could continue.
Obviously the project was far off this pace long before the law suits and referendum occurred. It is doubtful the referendum or other law suit would have occurred had the project stayed on pace. The environmental impact report for this project took three years from the notice of preparation (March 2008) to the issuance of the final report (February 2011). By contrast the report for the West Berkeley Bowl took ten months (notice of preparation July 2005, final issuance May 2006). Why did the EIR take two years longer than is typical? This was not the community's fault, and should be included in any retrospective examination. It is also noteworthy that based on the square footage given in the article Whole Foods will be building a store on Gilman just over half the size of the store approved for Albany. Had this approach been taken in Albany, it might have deflated much of the criticism directed at the project by some groups (although the square footage was and is not a factor in AS&R and C0A's consideration).
The problem remains is that at least TWO of those who were active in lawsuits against the City, and continue to hold forth on our Commissions. You know, 'Comission', a collective of chosen individuals for their fairness and intelligence, that hopefully DON'T SUE when they disagree with the majority City Council opinion, a City Council that appointed them. Commissions, that when attendance is low, can easily derail a Phone Tower for instance.
Indeed Peg. We can start by encouraging the new Council to begin by moving beyond the delays and obstruction and finally allow the AT&T wireless installation at 1035 San Pablo to go forward and to deny the last-ditch appeal of P&Zs approval of the project. The issue will be decided at the upcoming Council meeting Tuesday 2/19 at 7:30pm. Once the appeal is taken care of it there is every reason to believe the current lawsuit in Federal court will be resolved.
Maybe we should also revisit expanded gambling at the racetrack - i.e. card room
The glimmer of profit from gambling has come and gone for the Track I'm afraid. Also, when I surveyed the (Albany) public sentiment when it was put on the ballot, (and barely passed), the actual opinions were polemic in one direction. That is: those that 'supported' it really didn't care one way or the other; while those that 'opposed' to it were screaming fanatics against gambling. Seriously. Albany taxpayers spent $600k on 'discovering' just what the best (read 'publicly accepted') use of the Race Track could be, and that resulted in reams of well supported Zilch. Recall that the most recent developer spiel put forth U.C. as a potential suitor... which was a coffin nail IMHO. You saw how far THAT got; even the Sierra Club lawyer jumped on it. No... I'm sure my unborn grandchildren will have a spot to learn to drive, down by the bay, and they can sort out the Turkeys from the Geese as they drive by the Gill Tract.
btw, there is no development agreement for UC to change. Council rescinded it last year...at the urging of several who gathered referendum signatures "to let the people vote", and "because it's too big a decision for 5 to make". Then when they had those signatures, several referendum organizers urged that same few 5 on Council to rescind the development agreement, eliminating any vote by the people.
It's time for your nap, little lapdog. ;-)
Having a grocery store at UC Village would mean LESS traffic since people in Albany would drive a shorter distance (it is closer than Trader Joes or Lucky's) and a few people would be able to walk to the store (if they only had a small amount to buy). As for "large" stores vs. small stores, many people cannot afford the high prices of neighborhood boutique operations. Larger stores offer economies of scale and lower prices. There's nothing good IMO in a quality of life where people have to drive to the neighboring town to do their shopping and cannot make basic phone calls even in an emergency.
since whole foods is moving ahead with a smaller store, i think that is evidence that makes the argument in the suit more persuasive. regarding tony's comment, there is already more than 1 store in the plan. the grocery is just the largest. pricing of goods is more complicated than the physical size of a store. buying power, overhead, and profit margin goals affect prices. monterey market, dollar stores and trader joes are cheaper and in smaller stores. neiman marcus (needless markup,) has large stores.
If you support upholding the decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission which will result in better cell service in Albany, please either attend the meeting or send an email to members of the City Council, cityhall@albanyca.org
(The staff report on the appeal makes fascinating reading. It is apparent from the weakness of the appeal's arguments that the appeal is either an exercise in obstructionism or a proxy for something else, whether it be alleged damage from radiation or the 'ghettoization' of the city, as one complainant suggested last year. We should not let real city improvements be stymied by those with absurd agendas. I'm glad we have a democratic process of decision followed by appeal, but now is the time to bring this very sad affair to a conclusion.)
"buying power, overhead, and profit margin goals affect prices. monterey market, dollar stores and trader joes are cheaper and in smaller stores." Chain stores, like Dollar and Trader Joe's are not 'small stores' in the same niche as Monterey Market for instance. As was hopefully learned from the $600k study for 'what works best' for the Race Track, we found that SURVEYS and a collective opinion leads to Zilch. I've read their conclusion. It is true that 'one stop' shopping (with easy parking) makes for success, whether it's a mall of stores, or a massive equivalent (Costco). Some of the more successful areas I've observed includes a 'Bank' in the milieu. That which was successful 25 years ago here included bookstore(s) and a video store(s)... times and habits changed. Costco has only a 20% mark-up; Small stores CANNOT survive on that margin, and therefore walking the concrete at Costco looking something that Costco DOESN'T sell is key.( Medicinal Pot, finger nail painting and guns will probably never be sold by Costco... LOL). Lasty, 'anti-anything U.C.' and 'Anti-growth' (Carbon Neutral, Sierra Club) interest groups have a 'fifth' column, and they are ON our Albany Commissions, as evidenced by lawsuits THEY sponsored against Albany; they were appointed by recently elected council members. Let's do first things first; please write Council and ask them to clean their house: cityhall@albanyca.org
"I have AT&T, coverage is fine for me in Albany. I also have a land line for emergencies." Heike Abeck Translation: Coverage is fine for ME. I have a land line for ME. I only care about ME. Bow down to ME. It's all about ME. ME ME ME ME ME ME ME. http://albany.patch.com/articles/planning-commission-votes-to-deny-at-t-antenna-plans Maybe we should start knocking on her door when we need to make calls. Avail ourselves of her landline and all. ;-)