SCG Retail has signed two leases for new Whole Foods Market locations in Manhattan: A 39,000 s/f space at 100 West 125th & Lenox in Harlem and a 39,000 s/f Upper East Side store at 1551 Third Avenue at 87th.
These two deals will mark Whole Foods Market’s 8th and 9th Manhattan locations.
According to Chase Welles and Jacqueline Klinger, brokers for SCG Retail, both areas have been on the Austin-based grocer’s priority list for many years.
“These are important deals for their respective neighborhoods,” says Klinger, “because they will fulfill demand in areas of the city that both desire fresh natural and organic grocery stores. Each location provides an outstanding footprint for Whole Foods Market to bring its industry leading quality standards.”
Whole Foods Market’s location at 100 125th Street is on the southwest corner beside the subway entrance. The site has 12,000 s/f on ground with the remaining 25,000 s/f at concourse level.
The location is currently a vacant lot. “This is the heart of Harlem,” says Welles. “It’s the downtown corner on the downtown Avenue and with Whole Foods Market as the key anchor in this development, the corner’s importance to the neighborhood’s retail activity will only increase.”
The project is owned by Wharton Properties. Burlington Coat Factory has also been signed to the project, with several other tenants about to be announced. Forest City owns the building across the street with Staples, Marshall’s and CVS. The subway is also on the corner.
“The groundbreaking is projected to be Spring 2013 with an opening sometime in 2015,” said Klinger.
The Upper East Side location is on three levels (ground, second and lower) and will anchor an existing 30-story luxury residential tower.
Nearby retailers include Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and H&M. “Whole Foods Market will occupy the entire block between 87th and 88th along Third Avenue,” says Welles. “This location will bring a new level of convenience to area residents who have requested a Whole Foods Market in their community for a long time.”
RKF Executive vice president Gary Alterman represented the owner of 1551 Third Avenue, Milstein Properties.
“We are thrilled with both locations,” says Norah Smith, vice president of real estate for Whole Foods Market. “New York is such a key market for us and we’ve been working for years to identify the right location in both these vibrant and exciting neighborhoods. These great locations made it worth the long search process.”
SCG Retail represents Whole Foods Market exclusively in New York City and Northern New Jersey, working with the company for ten plus years. In addition to the two new Manhattan locations, Whole Foods Market also has two stores planned in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Gowanus and Williamsburg, respectively.
Founded in 1980, Whole Foods Market now has 336 locations in North America and the United Kingdom.
