Whole Foods Market has just signed a 25-year lease with the Finger Companies for land at the northeast corner of West Dallas and Waugh in North Montrose. The company plans to build a new 50,000-sq.-ft. store there, reports the Chronicle‘s Nancy Sarnoff. That’s the same size as the new Whole Foods that recently opened in Sugar Land, but the new Uptown store the company is planning as part of Boulevard Place will be 50 percent larger.
The North Montrose location is only a few blocks east of the site planned for Regent Square. And Finger has more ideas for the full 11 acres fronting West Dallas it bought from Knickerbocker Corp. earlier this year:
Plans for the site also call for 60,000 square feet of additional retail space and hundreds of apartments. The Finger Cos. will build a six-story, 445-unit multifamily complex on the property. Construction will start early next year.
A ring road will be created in the center of the development to tie into the AIG complex, located to the north of the site.
A future phase includes a high-rise apartment tower for the land closer to Montrose. Developer Marvy Finger said the building could be similar to his company’s 20-story Museum Tower on Montrose near the Museum District.
- Whole Foods to build store between Montrose and Waugh [Houston Chronicle]
- Whole Foods to anchor new Montrose-area complex [Houston Chronicle]
- Real Estate [Houston Chronicle]
- Whole Foods Market Reports Second Quarter Results [NPI Center]
- Marvy’s New Acquisition [HAIF]
- Sugar Land Whole Foods: Water on the Roof, Sweet Peas Inside [Swamplot]
- Uptown Whole Foods: Still on Track, Apparently [Swamplot]
- Supermod Boulevard Place: Replacements First [Swamplot]
- Going Straight: Regent Square Follows a New Path [Swamplot]
Photo of the corner of West Dallas and Montrose, proposed site of Finger highrise: Charles Kuffner
I’ll send the same comment I wrote for the Chronicle story…
Great. I wonder if they will add parking places large enough to park a car in at this location? The parking at the Kirby/Alabama store is criminal. Frankly, I would prefer less Whole Foods and maybe a Central Market/Rice Epicurean style store to service those of us in the 6th Ward. I’m honest enough to say Whole Foods is not the perfect grocery store.
This is going to be a great location for them. Now all the Heights whole foodies can shorten their grocery trips.
Will someone please ask Whole Foods when they will figure out the Clear Lake market and put a store down there?
Brad, I think you’ll get a new HEB at Shepherd Plaza (but not a Central Market). http://www.fidelisrealtypartners.com/news/ind_nov11-2005.htm – I heard last fall that they had decided to build a store here, but perhaps that was just some Montrose fantasy. Not that Shepherd Plaza is in any way convenient from the 6th ward!
Karen, I’ve been hearing that for a while, but my local watering hole, Stag’s Head knows nothing about vacating last we spoke. We really need something other than the WGray Kroger, the midtown Randall’s and Spec’s. Frankly, I tend to just shop after making a good list on weekends at Rice Weslayan or CM.
Brad, last summer I took a phone survey from a marketing company to assess three different proposed locations for a new gourmet grocery store. The three locations were the two that HEB already has the master lease on (Shepherd Plaza & Buff/Biss) plus a third at Kirby & Bissonnet. From the survey it became pretty clear to me that HEB was the marketing company’s customer, although at that time I didn’t know HEB already controlled two of the three properties. It will be interesting to see what happens here. Maybe Stag’s Head (for you) and Amy’s (for me!!) will have a place in a new retail development at Shepherd Plaza.
Thanks, Karen. All 3 of those master lease locations are good for West U, Museum District and Upper Kirby folks (and they deserve a better grocery store). But, those really don’t help the Washington Corridor shopper. Current we only have the long traverse to my previously mentioned providers. I’m sure lots of non-perishable business is currently going to the Sawyer Super Target (I know mine does! We LOVE our Tarjzay). We all know the Allen Parkway/Memorial Drive natural barrier keeps us wanting a store between it and Interstaet 10 on the north. There really is a need for a nice gourmet grocery store along Washington. Who will be first?
Brother, can you spare a new Whole Foods location in Montgomery County?
22 years ago, I marketed directly to the Whole Foods on Shepard. It was a local arrangement (what Whole Foods stood for then!)& very satifying, until WF went national.
Up here in Montgomery County, we are – on balance – rabid Republicans, but… I need my options, my organic meat, my teas and spices!
Any update on the Whole Foods in Houston planned for West Dallas and Waugh?