Brooklyn’s first Whole Foods has finally arrived — and there’s a whole lot to love even though it’s adjacent to one of the filthiest waterways in the nation.
The gourmet grocery chain’s long-awaited — and sometimes controversial — Gowanus outpost is set to officially open at the corner of Third St. and Third Ave. right next to the fetid Gowanus Canal on Tuesday after more than eight years in the making.
The 56,000-sqare-foot market was delayed so long by snags in the approval process, site remediation and construction that the upscale grocery giant had ample time to make the store shine, said spokesman Michael Sinatra.
“This is something special,” said Sinatra. “We really wanted Brooklyn to feel like this was their store.”
In addition to the 20,000 square-foot, glass-enclosed roof greenhouse that will supply veggines and greens to the store’s produce selection, and the rooftop beer hall and restaurant that overlooks the smelly inlet, there will be an in-house ramen chef, a pizza station with a wood-fired oven, a made-to-order juice bar, and a knife-sharping station.
The store will also carry a slew of products made by Brooklyn businesses exclusively for the market, including a line of frozen pizzas from Bushwick pizza joint Roberta’s and vegan ice cream by Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.
Records and reclaimed vinyl jewelry made by Brooklyn-based designer Wrecords by Monkey will also be for sale in the vinyl section (yes, there is one) that’s adorned with exposed records.
The organic market with its 240-car parking lot is certainly a sign of redevelopment in the historically-industrial, gritty neighborhood, but not all neighbors are happy about that.
“They are igniting a real estate gold rush,” said Gowanus record producer Martin Bisi, 52. “The property value explosion that Whole Foods is unleashing guarantees that Gowanus won’t be a destination for artists and arts organizations in the years to come.”
Gowanus Whole Foods, 214 Third St. at Third Ave. in Gowanus, www.wholefoodsmarket.com, (718) 907-3622. Grand opening on Dec. 17., at 8:30 a.m.
