Whole Foods Market - South Loop

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Location

1101 S. Canal Map

Owner
Whole Foods Market Group, Inc.

Architect
Heights Venture Architects, LLP

The South Loop Whole Foods Market is a 53,000 sf organic foods grocery store located within the new Southgate Market development. This will be Whole Foods' largest store in Chicago and is seeking a Certified rating under LEED for Commercial Interiors. There are a handful of other grocery stores in the U.S. that have pursued LEED certification (including Whole Foods in Sarasota, Florida and Austin, Texas), and consequently the design team has invested significant effort in exploring the relationship between LEED and food stores.

Whole Foods is known as a company committed to sustainability, most recently publicized by the company's purchase of 100% green power. While this has also been reflected in their construction, formalizing the process (partially through LEED) helps take green to the next level, such as increasing post-consumer recycled content and verifying materials sources. The location in a development seeking LEED-CS certification also helps achieve the LEED-CI goal - hopefully this sends a signal to skeptical developers that there is market demand for green retail developments.

Because of the large amount of furnishings in a grocery store, these become a critical component of the store's green approach. Most wood will be FSC certified, most finishes are low-VOC, and recycled or renewable content materials will be clearly visible to the consumer. Whole Foods plans on an education program, including permanent signage, explaining the store's green elements (as is already included in most stores).

On the energy side, over 85% of eligible equipment will be Energy Star rated. On a commercial office this is straightforward, but when eligible equipment includes commercial cooking equipment, coolers, and freezers, more research and specification is required. Both space cooling and refrigeration systems reject heat to the base building's chilled water system - without the presence of this chilled water system, less-efficient air-cooled systems might have been used. As with most chilled water systems, chilled water use is metered and paid for based on usage, providing a direct incentive for Whole Foods to maintain equipment in top condition.

This project plans to include fiber optic lighting in some locations. Fiber optic systems allow the light source and the actual fixture to be remote from one another, bringing light to a location without the heat the normally accompanies an electric lamp - of value to food vendors displaying cold products. There are other applications in which the isolation of light and heat is of value and might be considered green - however, this must be balanced with the fact that some light is lost in transmission through the fiber, reducing the efficacy of the lamp.

Finally, it's worth nothing Whole Foods' simple and effective recycling program. Recyclable and compostable materials are stored at the loading dock and shipped back to the main distribution centers via empty delivery trucks for disbursement to local recycling centers. Other businesses with a centralized distribution system should consider how they could adopt this model.

The South Loop Whole Foods is expected to open in summer of 2007. Other project team members include MEP engineer Clive Samuels & Associates, commissioning agent Advanced Technologies, Inc., and general contractor Osman Construction. Special thanks to Stephen Jovicich, AIA of Heights Venture for his help in preparation of this post.

Comments

[Kathy Schubert]

there is no such address according to Mapquest 2900 W. Ferdinand- is it actually Franklin Blvd? I'd like to include it on a Mini - Ride for Climate on Memorial Day.
Would you please help me find it and if somebody would like to talk about it when we get there, or ride with us and talk about it, please let me know.
Is it built yet?

[Kathy Schubert]

there is no such address according to Mapquest 2900 W. Ferdinand- is it actually Franklin Blvd? I'd like to include it on a Mini - Ride for Climate on Memorial Day.
Would you please help me find it and if somebody would like to talk about it when we get there, or ride with us and talk about it, please let me know.
Is it built yet?

[Terri Bentivegna]

The new Whole Foods will be located in a new shopping center on the East Side of Canal Between Roosevelt Road and Taylor Street. It's not finished yet.

Does anyone know when it will be ready?

[amanda palmer]

whole foods south loop opens officially on august 8th, 2007.

[Marilyn Mabra]

I am very disapointed with the South Loop store. It is carrying a large amount of personal care and vitamin products and less variety of food selection. Lincoln Park and South Loop has eliminated the bulk spices. Does anyone know of other Organic and full service health food stores around? I would like options at this point.