A Whole Foods in Fidi could actually lead to lower food bills for locals, who currently on pricey grocery delivery services.
BY ATOOSA MOINZADEH |
Only in the Financial District could a Whole Foods make grocery shopping cheaper.
Amid the rumors that the famously pricy gourmet grocer is eying a prime location in the Financial District, residents are hoping that it could free them from dependence on even pricier grocery delivery services.
“It would be massively convenient for people who live down here—a lot of people here do a lot of online grocery shopping, and it would give us a good option for a lot of good gourmet stuff,” said Fidi resident Patrick Kennell, who frequently uses services like FreshDirect, Instacart, and AmazonFresh to feed his family of four. “This would mean we wouldn’t have to rely on delivery.”
In 2015, the Wall Street Journal crunched the numbers and found that Instacart, which sources from Whole Foods and other stores, marks up some items by as much as 26 percent.
Kennell said a new supermarket would make like easier for Fidi residents to improve a local diet sourced more from local restaurants than organic farms.
“Families around here are always looking for affordable options that help them cook at home and eat healthier,” he said. “We order takeout a lot more than we should be.”
Though not exactly a “food desert,” the Financial District is notoriously starved for supermarkets. With retail space at a premium, the neighborhood has yet to attract large-scale grocers to keep pace with the expanding population as offices convert to residential use.
Now developer Harry Macklowe is reportedly negotiating with Whole Foods to take on retail space at One Wall Street, according to the New York Post.
“A Whole Foods development acknowledges that Fidi has truly made the transformation into one of the top neighborhoods in the city,” said local real estate broker Luis Vazquez, who is a co-founder, with Kennell, of the newly formed Financial District Neighborhood Association
Vazquez said there is also ongoing buzz about a Trader Joe’s taking root just two blocks away at 28 Liberty St.
“The neighborhood has been waiting for this for a long time,” he said.
