Whole Foods to Abandon Its Plans for New Store, Refurbish Existing Minyard’s Eyesore Instead
Scott Simon from Whole Foods just sent out an e-mail blast to interested parties (including the good folks at Back Talk) saying that it’s now too expensive (and, I figure, too frustratingly frustrating) to continue fighting the 48 Lakewood-area neighborhood groups and the city planning commission. So instead of building its whip-a new store (I hope to get permission some day to post the drawings), WF is going to refurbish the existing structure. It will still be about the same size (40K square feet or so), Simon said in a follow-up e-mail, but there’s no way to know if, for example, the cool downtown Austin-style rooftop deck will be salvaged. This is good in that it will get a store in there more quickly. This is bad, to me, in that the forces of stubborness won. C’est la vie. His full e-mail after the jump.
As you know, we’ve been exploring many options with the former Minyard’s site in Lakewood for some time. As site planning has proceeded, the private and city restrictions have raised very challenging issues.
Setting out on this project, we acknowledged that we had two viable options with this location; we could renovate the existing structure and create a new Whole Foods Market in the existing four walls, or demolish the current building and construct a new store on the site.
Ultimately, we decided to explore the idea of a new structure, and we recognized that this would mean navigating the existing restrictions and asking for neighborhood and city support on a new design that would serve the neighborhood and allow us to run an efficient store at the same time.
However, all current indicators, combined with our experience in building new stores in the past, have led us to believe strongly that we can expect a very long and complex process to acquire the Planned Development District amendment we would need to build a new store.
After carefully evaluating our expenses to date along with the City Plan Commissioners reactions on the design we proposed, we feel that the best decision is to renovate the existing retail space and move forward with opening the store in a more timely manner.
Additionally, we have heard from many community members that an environmentally-sensitive project would be most welcome, and using the existing structure will allow us to pursue a greener end result for the store. We will work to make the interior finish-out of the store as environmentally sound as possible.
This decision will allow us to start work on the site quite soon. We will work very hard to create an amazing store experience for the Lakewood area and have it open as soon as possible. We expect work to begin within a matter of weeks.
60 Comments to “Whole Foods to Abandon Its Plans for New Store, Refurbish Existing Minyard’s Eyesore Instead”
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This crucial cliff hanger was distracting from the presidential campaigns. So it is with enormous relief that the tug-of-war has reached its zenith. Now I can look to March 4th with renewed crispness.
Gotta love the fratricide. Enviro-libs torpedo the store that bends over backwards to cater to enviro-libs. Bravo, retards. Bravo, indeed.
I feel your pain WF. We just moved from Uptown (where you can build anything) to Lakewood (where you can’t build anything)
Can’t build anything? There are at least 100 new townhouses within walking distance of the Minyards. Glad WF will be done quicker, but wish they would start from scratch.
It is embarrasing that so many people on the East Side are so anti-change that even a good change, by what has to be the most enviro-friendly store in the State of Texas, gets torpedoed.
I hope they are proud of themselves.
TGS, that’s an enlightened and “progressive” mindset for you.
W.F. should just vacate and let a Big Lots, Family Dollar or Dollar General move in. Obviously the neighborhood doesn’t appreciate progress!
Of course with the economic state of affairs these ‘geezers of Lakewood’ can toddle over to dollar-mart to spend their Social Security checks!
I had to laugh hearing the ‘Save Minyards’ outcry and reminded: Recently when I was in Oak Cliff, a relatively new resident said to me, of the bar we were about to visit, “It’s in the historic old Long John Silver seafood building.”
JHS is so right and sadly, this could have EASILY happened, had WF not appeared to be committed to having a location in Lakewood.
Of course, you do realize when the folks who blocked WF from building the store they wanted start shopping at the smaller store and realize they don’t stock the depth and variety of items at other larger WF stores, they will be the first to complain. Just wait and see. It will happen.
Looks like WF didn’t do its research when it decided to build in a PD extant for two decades - which was hammered out over several years by interested parties including several homeowner groups AND property owners.
I believe other parts of the city also have PDs - perhaps some of y’all should move to Houston if you don’t believe in zoning.
True most people in Lakewood hate change - we even grouse when junior doesn’t have the same Geometry teacher at Woodrow that grandma had…
However Lakewood is full of old-money prudent people (with no mortgages nor dependence on SS checks)who well know the rewards of diligence and caution.
But we are also fun-loving, tolerant and even celebrate weirdness (eccentricity if enough money). People from outside will never ‘get us’ and we kind of like it that way.
JHS and AT are on the money! That’s why I now live in Grapevine! They should post the pictures of the WF hating jackasses in the store window!
Typical hippies. They ***** for the sake of ********. If you’re not outraged about something, then what’s the point of going on, right?
The EXACT same people that have a problem with the original Whole Foods plans are the EXACT same people who had a problem with HEB and their construction of Central Market on Lovers Lane. Same people. I can name names.
I think WF made the mistake of assuming that common sense would prevail at the end of the day.
Who knows, maybe in an ideal world, building a new structure in strict conformance with the PD would have been the best option.
Unfortunately for the NIMBY’s (clueless obstructionist ******?), that wasn’t the ONLY choice. Whole Foods ALWAYS had the option of working with the original Minyard’s structure, which is FAR, FAR worse than the innovative, proposed solution.
Really too bad for the people of Lakewood… now, they will have to suffer with the existing, extremely poor siteplan for another 30 years, at a minimum.
What is really funny about these people….they fight a grocery store that caters to them however they are too ignorant to fight the hispanic club one mile down the road.Check the number of 911 calls related to that club…murders…dui…accidents. Fight something that can help the neighborhood ******. But hey at least the pawn shops are close so you can go buy your stuff back after it is stolen….right??
OK, so name names. Tell us who are the culprits here. Identify the bad guys. Hold them up to shame and ridicule. Inquiring minds want to know.
To add to that John…
My questions is why the neighborhood isn’t making this same effort to save perfectly acceptable houses that can be remodeled or expanded- which is what they are forcing WF to do. I can understand wanting to upgrade the old duplexes that were on Sondra but now that tear down madness has spread. It’s UGLY to have houses that are more than twice the size of the ones next door. Go look at Sunnyland Lane and tell me it looks fine.
If you’re gonna be a zealot about saving the neighborhood from big box stores, make sure you’re true to your purpose and save the neighborhood from big box houses too.
I was drunk when I proofread. But my point is still there!
It sadly appears that WF’s mistake of thinking commonsense would prevail on the East Side is all to true.
Sure, they bought a building in a PD, but I guess they should have known that the neighborhood would rather protect an existing ugly structure than support a new structure on the same site, with roughly the same square footage that would be significantly more visibly appealing and be a Green Building.
Silly Whole Foods for trying to be progressive.
And we are about to see the same thing happen again in East Dallas with the old Carnival on Henderson Avenue. The developers who own the proeprty want to knock it down and put up a mixed use development. But no, the anti-development faction of our neighborhood is going to kill it in the name of no development.
Way to go. End result of this move? WAL-MART NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY!! Way to go folks, way to go.
Maybe I should just move. If I lived North of LBJ at least then I wouldn’t remember it as a neighborhood with a soul, and it would be cheaper too!
Whole Foods has been making money from Lakewood people for two decades at its original store on Greenville. Why shouldn’t they be expected to follow a simple rule such as - the storefront should be closer to Abrams?
I think blame is misplaced here. And BTW the Lakewood area has more conservation, historic and NSO (and some pending) than any other part of the city, so we are trying to stop big-box houses.
So it should be no compromise and Whole Food’s way or the highway?
And whoever wants to leave the area over this, be my guest. Perhaps you will be more appreciated at the CVS in Frisco.
BTW point of clarification - I am FOR the Andres Brothers development on Henderson. I was also FOR Whole Foods, but they’ve already kept us waiting a couple of years and now they can’t wait six months to iron this thing out…
Gotta love SB’s and Mantooth’s characterization of Lakewood residents as “hippies” & “enviro-libs”. Yeah, you can’t go a block on Lakewood Blvd. without running into a drum circle.
Also, congratulations to everyone who learned the term NIMBY in past month and will now use it to describe anyone who even has a questions about a particular development.
I guess WF didn’t grease enuff palms
Just because “the Lakewood area has more conservation, historic and NSO (and some pending) than any other part of the city” doesn’t mean their policies (or whatever you want to call them) are being best for the well-being of Lakewood.
I’m serious. Go drive around the Lakewood Elementary area off Oakhurst. Then come back and say the neighborhood efforts are pointed in the right direction.
Can somebody else proof for me today? I give up.
I’m not characterizing all Lakewood residents as hippies. Just the vocal minority that screw things up for everyone else. That’s what hippies do. They kill the voice of common sense with their over-the-top anger and grand standing.
Also, hippies are the same people who would call any effort to control the Mexican club down the road a “racist” act. Even if the club is the source of all kinds of crime and trouble, and it would greatly benefit the rest of the neighborhood to have it shut down, the hippie contingent would come out in force to accuse everyone of bigotry.
Seems to me Whole Foods wants to stay in Lakewood no matter what. Good for them and Lakewood. I wish we could find a nice profitable place in Deep Ellum that would work. but I dream.
I am sure that WF knew about the PD. Any real estate deal of that magnitude is going to have significant title work done, and there is no way they wouldn’t have known about it and analyzed it. What they must have been counting on was an enthusiastic response to the new development from the residents and the city, which to my mind they should have received. People should have been cheering them on.
Can’t we just all get along? WF is trying to do something BETTER for Lakewood, not harm it. God forbid we support it and bring on a positive change that means removing an eyesore. I have tiredhead from this and am so disappointed in my lakewood neighbors. there are such bigger and more pronounced battles to fight in terms of zoning and control.
This whole “storefront” look or feel required by the 20-year old PD for the Abrams BYPASS is ridiculous. It makes sense on Old Abrams Parkway but tell me how it will work for a free-standing grocery store on a triangle-shaped lot with Abrams AND Gaston frontage. Where is the front door required to be? On Abrams by the bus stop? Will traffic slow down to look into the Whole Foods “storefront” before parking in back (or is that in front from the Gaston POV?)?
Still, I am surprised… wouldn’t this be a better place for a bank? I think a bank would work….
Just a heads up: it’s 2008 and anyone who uses the word “hippy” in regard to development and urban planning issues is a flaming dunce.
How come we can’t tear down an ugly old Minyard’s building but we can tear down everything else? (Hard Rock, that office building as seen on Unfair Park, some other crap I can’t remember becuase its gone)…
I mean I don’t like Whole Foods one bit and will never shop there but the view from the Country Club would be a lot better if they could build their shiny new building.
What’s the new PC term for pointless agitator’s then, Steve? Whatever their label is the vast majority of the commenters on here are aware of their tactics. And aware of their worthlessness.
Thanks, another reminder not to live in Lakewood.
I am unaware of any true hippies raised in Lakewood. We had a few wannabes (mostly the kids of doctors, businessmen - kinda like the earlier illusory Lakewood Rats). But don’t forget the 60s really didn’t get to Dallas until the 70s..
Also Lakewood Shopping Center looked much different back in those days, much of it was demolished. Most posting here probably don’t have that frame of reference.
Lakewooder: Why is it okay for WF to have to follow the PD & the Andres Bros. don’t have to on Henderson? PD 462 was hammered out 11 years ago. I think both should have to adhere to the exisiting zoning. Personally, I like the WF on Greenville Ave. I hope they keep it there.
So SB and Mantooth, are the residents of Uinversity Park “hippies” for their hard-assed line on Snyder Plaza renovations? Is Highland Park a hive of eco-terrorists for attempting to refuse to widen that woefully outdated stretch of Mockingbird Lane?
Trying to drag national politics into neighborhood debates is about as stupid and hidebound as it gets. Any older neighborhood is going to have its element whose hearts are in the right place but who are too obstinate to compromise effectively. Besides, Whole Foods appears to be having more trouble with the Planning Commissioners than with the neighborhood groups (so they say themselves; perhaps they’re just being politic).
SB, I live at La Vista near “downtown Lakewood,” and I’ll give you one good reason why I’ve never lobbied to shut down The Hispanic Club: I’ve never heard of it or noticed it. I’m guessing it’s one of those purple shacks a few blocks east of Munger Place, a long city mile or two from the nearest edge of Lakewood or Lakewood Heights.
All that said, this really is a shame. The Minyard building is a real dog … as is the erstwhile Carnival.
Daniel, I don’t think I labelled anyone a “hippy”. I realize I’m painting with a broad brush here, but in my observation, activist Lakewooders like to think of themselves and their part of the world as a sort of Austinesque place, and that carries with it a “progressive” label. WF — Austin based, natch — also wears its “progressive” heart on its sleeve. My point was simply that this internecine battle ended poorly for all, which is surprising, since everyone in the fight should have been able to get along and get the deal done.
I agree with you that the old building sucks.
Yeah, self-styled progressives are a smarmy lot, I laugh at’em right along with the next guy. I just don’t think the conservative/liberal axis comes into play much in municipal, let alone neighborhood, politics — and the PC Police invoked by SB are about as relevant to the issue as the coaching staff of the Miami Dolphins, IMHO.
Sorry if I misinterpreted you.
Admittedly it may seem a bit incongruous to be for a variance for Andres and not for Whole Foods. I’m not saying I would have been against a variance for WF, just a nod to the PD plan would have been sufficient and I could live with the rest.
Also, “Downtown” Lakewood is seen as a cherished place that was/is the center of many people’s lives over the generations. Look up info about “Doc” Harrell, Lakewood Bank, etc sometime. The shopping center had the first Wyatt’s Cafeteria and the oldest El Chico. Minyard’s started not far away. Lakewood Country Club opened in 1912 and “Doc” started the commercial section not long after that..then came Dines and Kraft and Lakewood Country Club Estates, Clifford Hutsell, Charles Steven Dilbeck…
Oh I could go on but I don’t want to bore you further..
Whereas I don’t think Henderson near Ross is anybody’s example of someplace held holy..also the Andres are home-grown, second generation property owners in the area who have done a lot of good, very sensitive redevelopment over the last 20-30 years. They should be rewarded IMO - also Henderson has more of an urban feel and needs the critical mass.
The Andres brothers will effectively merge two districts, Lower Greenville and Knox-Henderson, with their redevelopment of the Carnival/Kroger site. The synergy created by that will be immeasurable.
The Hispanic club (Far West, I think, and Hoy Sports Bar) is just east of the Minyard’s/WF location at ‘Dead Man’s Curve’, i.e. the loopy Grand/Garland/Gaston intersection. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost been broadsided there by big pickup trucks headed to or exiting the club by clearly intoxicated drivers. A treacherous spot, it is. And there’s rarely any notable police presence.
I didn’t invoke the PC police. A fellow poster declared that “hippie” was a term that wasn’t allowed anymore. I didn’t realize that it was a word that had been banned alongside other, much more harsh slurs. I’m sorry if I still think of “progressive” agitators who keep good things from getting accomplished as “hippies.”
Hippies are a worthless breed who look for any mundane cause to back, choose the wrong side to support and then lob figurative fire bombs at the opposing side.
The only result: the good people get the shaft. Just like the good people of Lakewood (Dallas’ most beautiful and unique community, IMO) are getting here.
First, ‘Hippie’, the archaic term for many in the Vietnam era 35-40 years ago, hardly describes Lakewood residents. Some of inner city Dallas’ toniest addresses are there, and if anything, it has become more like Park Cities South than the old days. A women I sat next to last Saturday from Lakewood (as I told Tim) was carrying a handbag that cost more than my house sold for in 1983. DART buses go there on request, maids stand on flawless lawns. Hot tips: Cars are now equipped to trans-navigate multiple zip codes. Risk it. All knowledge (and certainly of your city) is power.
It seems to me that there’s an awful lot of support to allow WF to proceed with their original plan. Can anything be done to get them to reconsider? I think if they stick this out, they’ll find out they really do have a lot of support with this issue. I live in Lakewood, and I don’t know of one neighbor who wasn’t looking forward to the new look WF.
Lakewooder, That location was a Safeway store long before Minyards moved in !
“Just like the good people of Lakewood (Dallas’ most beautiful and unique community, IMO) are getting here.”
The residents of Lakewood aren’t hippies. They’re great people who live in an awesome neighborhood. The protestors who are f’ing things up for the true residents are hippies. And they should hated as such.
JNJ, Lakewooder said Minyard’s started not far away. Minyard’s first store was on Lindsley at Martinique. The original building is gone, replaced by a larger Minyard’s (now Carnival).
Lakewooder: I suggest that you try driving Henderson once in a while in afternoon or morning traffic. It’s a total cluster @!&#! There are no plans for the streets and their own traffic study rates Henderson as an “F”. Critical mass, indeed!
whatever - I lived on Pershing for eight years so I am intimately familiar with Henderson and still use the street a couple of times per week.
I imagine if the Andres brothers can’t get this to work, they will have to sell the site. How would you like the non-residential traffic from a Wal-Mart or Home Depot?
Their plan gives Dallas another walk-able section.
This is so typical of what goes on in East Dallas. A few people like Norma Minnis and Virginia Mc. kill most of the really good projects. I’m really tired of this. What makes it worse is Bob Weiss and Neil Emmons are such toadies for the neighborhood groups. They both play to them endless and it sickens me. Neither of them ever do what’s best for Dallas. Quit killing good commercial projects that would help to lower the tax burden on regular homeowners.
Speaking as one of the 16 members of the committee that developed the existing PD, I would have loved to seen the zoning amended for the Whole Foods building. The purpose of the PD was to establish guidelines that would lead to a certain type of environment. They were the means, not the end. Like any arbitrary set of rules, they can’t take in to account every possible scenario 20 years down the road. That’s why you have ways to amend them.
Whole Foods’ proposed design was superior to anything that can be developed on that property under the PD. We’ve lost a once in a generation opportunity, because of a few individuals inability to think outside the box.
As usual….an opportunity to make our neighborhood look/feel “a little bit different” is lost b/c neighborhood activists derail the plan by micromanaging every detail….Can’t you all see why larger business’ don’t want to “deal” with our neighborhood? Thanks for “saving” another box that is ugly instead of the beautiful small town building feel that they were going for….oh yeah, btw….thanks for saving the gas station turned into bank at Belmont/Abrams…NOT!
‘Deep Ellum’ said it all just above. In their zealous rioting to force WF to adhere to the PD, they forgot two VERY important things.
1) The lady who owned the south parking lot land was not going to allow a structure on her site. She was under contract with WF for that, and her property was ‘conforming use’ under zoning. Yet the zealots kept claiming WF could “force her” to change! Stupid.
2) By vetoing the new building poste-haste, they have forever forced themselves to live with the old, grandfathered conforming use building. So, the PD is still just a pipe dream as far as their signature corner is concerned, for a long, long time into the future.
They all need to start wandering that parking lot now, staring at the ground, where they will all find their noses which were cut off to spite their collective faces.
The parking-only restriction was negotiated more than 26 years ago (in 1982). The current owner’s representative(s) may have been interested in lifiting the parking restriction, and allow re-sting of the buildng. But WF didn’t want to pay the piper.
WF wanted a zoning variance to build a new building “on the cheap.”
Sounds like a long-lost girlfriend of SB’s ran off with a hippie. It’s okay if it still hurts. Let it all out now.
WOW! I don’t understan how people can be so short sited that they would perfer to see blight vs progress. I understand trying to maintain the character in neighborhoods however this is a square box that really has no historic value. I have seen many of Whole Foods New stores in CA and believe me. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. Its a shame that a few loud mouth libs win over such a great company is frustrating and depressing for the area. Commercial needs to change and attracting some large companies will help the area’s grow and attract new families. Get with it people!! Not all change is bad.
Well, I’m a little late weighing in on this, but…This reminds me of a wise old saying…Opinions are like anuses, everybody has one. Just how many of you opinionated people live in our neighborhood? How many of you will shop at this store? If the answer for any of you is “well, no I don’t..” then your opinion isn’t worth sh*t. You sound like a bunch of frustrated ultra-right wing Bushies with nothing better to talk about. Bored? How about doing something about your wonderful President and his torture program???? Wanna complain about local zoning and development? Complain about your own neighborhood.
And another thing! Where do you right-wing ****** get off criticizing hippies? Explain to me right now why you think you’re better than them? Let me guess: 1) you’re very conservative; 2) you’re Republican; 3) you’re rich; 4) you’re an evangelical christian (but you frequent the topless bars); 5) you helped elect the worst president this country has ever seen; 6) you like war; 7) you think torture is ok;
you really hate paying taxes; 9) you don’t like poor people and you want the government to stop helping them (what little help they get); 10) you don’t believe in government, unless it is ultra-conservative, in which case you believe in unrestricted government power. Get off your godd*mn high right-wing horses and thank your god for hippies. Hippies helped bring about civil rights for those other than whites in this country. Hippies brought attention to the fact that industry and cities were raping the environment in this country. Hippies pointed out that the Viet Nam war was morally bankrupt. Hippies helped point out that Richard Nixon was a crook. Hippies pointed out a hell of a lot of lies and hypocrisy. Actually, many of the above comments smack of hypocrisy. Clean your act up fascists. We don’t care what you think here in Lakewood, TX.