Chris Currie's answer to my queries about the history of efforts to land a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's in our general area (posted here w/permission). I thought this might be useful background to tomorrow's Cafritz meeting...
<br><br>---------- Forwarded message ----------<br><span class="gmail_quote">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">crcurrie</b> <<a href="mailto:the.curries@verizon.net">the.curries@verizon.net</a>><br>Date: Jun 1, 2007 5:16 PM
<br>Subject: [HOPE_in_Hyattsville] Re: Whole Foods criteria/history & the Cafritz Property<br>To: <a href="mailto:HOPE_in_Hyattsville@yahoogroups.com">HOPE_in_Hyattsville@yahoogroups.com</a><br><br></span><div>
<p><font face="arial">Dwight, I'm not aware of any specific attempts to lure Whole Foods to a Hyattsville location. Trader Joe's has been the specialty grocer of choice, I think, for a few reasons: 1) it requires less space than other grocers, including Whole Foods; 2) it's cheaper and therefore perceived to be a better match with prevailing demographics here; and 3) related at least partly to #2, it seems more popular among residents here.
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<p><font face="Arial">If any developer has talked to Whole Foods, it would probably be Herschel Blumberg and his University Town Center. However, I'm only aware of Blumberg's unsuccessful attempt to woo Trader Joe's.
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<p><font face="Arial">Regarding Whole Foods' site selection criteria, it's certainly possible that they are using the education yardstick primarily now, but I wouldn't bet on it. When the Logan Circle community went after Whole Foods, the company's initial reluctance was based largely on income data for the primary market area. A resident who was involved in the effort told me that the way they overcame Whole Foods' reticence was pointing to recent real-estate transaction data, which showed housing prices skyrocketing and thus indicated that income levels were likely rising rapidly in the area as it gentrified.
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<p><font face="Arial">Even if they are looking only at educational attainment, we are still going to fall short. Their criteria are not going to be lower than Trader Joe's, and we don't meet Trader Joe's threshold. I don't see any examples of Whole Foods locating anywhere in the Washington area where both income and educational levels are not well higher than ours.
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<p><font face="Arial">Another doubt I have about Whole Foods' possible interest is one you expressed: Where are they going to put the rest of the mixed-use development if they provide for a Whole Foods store? From the map, the site looks like it's less than 10 acres, and when you include the almost 2-acre store and several acres of surface parking around it, I don't see how you have room to do much else.
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<p><font face="Arial">I still think the Whole Foods illustration was just eye candy to help sell a higher-density project to the surrounding lower-density residential community ...</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Chris</font></p><span class="q">
<p><br><font face="arial">--- In <a href="mailto:HOPE_in_Hyattsville@yahoogroups.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">HOPE_in_Hyattsville@yahoogroups.com</a>, "Dwight Holmes" <dwightrholmes@...> wrote:
<br> <br>> It occurs to me that the parking could well have been an issue with<br>> the EYA location; and perhaps, with any other specific Hyattsville<br>> location that was discussed. And that the Cafritz property could well
<br>> be different in this regard (depending of course on how much of the<br>> property they were willing to give over to the retailer).<br>> <br>> Of course I can't help but think of the downtown Whole Foods on P St
<br>> near 14th, and conclude that any one of these criteria is quite<br>> obviously fungible.<br>> <br>> If you're looking for a question here, I guess it's more a request to<br>> anyone who has specific knowledge of the history here to share it in
<br>> summary form (or point to archives of previous msgs!)<br></font></p></span>
<span width="1" style="color: white;"></span>-- <br></div>Riverdale Park Coffee House (blog)<br><a href="http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/">http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/</a><br>~~<br>Map of Riverdale Park MD Trolley Hiker-Biker Trail and Cafritz Property
<br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/2wsfql">http://tinyurl.com/2wsfql</a><br>~~<br>Tracking the Washington Nationals' 2007 season (will they catch the '62 Mets?):<br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/2m6f43">http://tinyurl.com/2m6f43
</a>