Whole Foods, the organic and natural grocery store that's tantalized Charlotte since plans to open here were first announced in 2004, will finally break ground near SouthPark mall on Monday afternoon.
The grocer plans to open a 42,000-square-foot store at Fairview and Sharon roads next spring, in the mixed-use Ashley Park development. That's diagonally across from SouthPark mall and near Phillips Place. Today's 3 p.m. groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of construction, and will be attended by Mayor Anthony Foxx.
Whole Foods originally planned to open a store in the Elizabeth neighborhood and a second store in SouthPark by 2009. But those plans were delayed, and the stores never materialized.
The new store - Whole Foods' eighth in North Carolina - will be entering a crowded food market, near the Morrocroft Harris Teeter and organic grocery Earth Fare. But Whole Foods has a devoted fan base, including some Charlotteans who stock up on Whole Foods goods when they're in a city that has one.