Whole Foods Markets is still pushing to be the anchor grocery store at the Walter Reed development, weighing in on the potential site plan and reaching out to the surrounding neighborhood to see what neighbors want at the site.
The organic grocer has made no secret of its desire to be part of the project. Scott Allshouse, Whole Foods’ Mid-Atlantic regional president, said he’s had several meetings with lead project developer Hines Interests.
“We’re not waiting around in the wings for Hines to say, ‘You’re our selection,'” Allshouse said. “We’re out there making sure we are covering bases now so that we’re a part of it.”
There have even been some co-tenancy discussions.
“We were asked if would we be OK going in with a Target,” Allshouse said. “We do coexist with a Target in Annapolis, so I said, ‘Sure, we would go in with a Target.'”
Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFM) has also attended meetings between the developers and the community “so we can incorporate feedback from the community around Walter Reed in our design,” Allshouse said.
Whole Foods is just one of several grocery stores that have expressed interest in being part of the Walter Reed site overhaul. Wegmans was working with another development team, Roadside Development, and Safeway has also said they’d like to open a store there.
Allshouse said he didn’t know when Hines would make a decision.
“I feel very confident that the city would love to see us there,” Allshouse said.
