A new Whole Foods distribution center is set to hit the Chicago area by in less than two years.
The retailer announced with the Chicago City Council yesterday, March 17th, that it will be building a new 140,000-square-foot facility with the capacity to employ at least 150 people.
"Our new Pullman distribution center will not only let us more conveniently serve our 25 Chicagoland locations, it also gives us easy access to our stores all across the Midwest," Michael Bashaw, Midwest Regional President for Whole Foods, stated in the announcement, according to the Chicago Tribune. "We are incredibly proud of the opportunity to be a part of a neighborhood that's so connected to Chicago's past and also such an important part of Chicago's future."
Located in Pullman, IL, the facility will serve to replace it current distribution center in Munster, IN. As an added incentive, the Chicago City Council is expected to consider $7.4 million in tax increment financing, according to the tribune, covering such costs as preparation and other development expenses.
"Neighborhood investments like these — from stores in Hyde Park and Englewood to this distribution center in Pullman — will be vital community anchors and open up more avenues of opportunity for all Chicagoans," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in the statement made with Whole Foods.
And with even more store openings in the next year, including its new, millennial-focused 360 format, Whole Foods clearly intends to increase the opportunities it can offer in the midwest.
The new distribution center is expected to open in early 2018, serving up to 70 Midwest stores as it continues to grow its footprint in the region.
DeliMarket News will continue to follow Whole Foods and all other retailers influencing the industry.
