Whole Foods to come to University Parkway

UNIVERSITY PARK -- A Whole Foods grocery store may soon be under construction at the corner of University Parkway and Honore Avenue.

The Sarasota County Commission is set to consider a new 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market on the corner of University Parkway and Honore Avenue next month. The Sarasota Planning Commission has recommended approval for the project

The North Sarasota location will be larger than the current store in downtown Sarasota and will include prepared foods, salad and soup stations, a juice bar, bakery and more.

"The success of the downtown store and the overwhelming support for this brand in the marketplace is driving the company to include their full brand amenities at this new location," said Jeff Garrison, partner at S.J. Collins Enterprises, the developer of the project.

S.J. Collins Enterprises will also bring Wawa to the center through a joint partnership with Brightwork Real Estate. Additionally, Zoe's Kitchen, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant has already signed a lease, and another six spots are available for boutique retail shops and/or fast-casual restaurants.

S.J. Collins already owns about 3.75 acres on the southwest corner of the intersection of University and Honore. The Integraclick business park is located on the majority of the land, but about 1.24 acres remain vacant. Another 3.64 acres of undeveloped commercial land at the corner is owned by a Winter Haven trust, according to Sarasota County property records.

Salaries at Whole Foods average about $40,000 per year, and a store this size will employ approximately 140 people and local subcontractors to help build the store.

"We are extremely excited to showcase the Whole Foods full brand of conveniences and highlight the green mission at this new location in Sarasota," said Kelly Mills, project manager for Whole Foods Market.

If the Sarasota County Commission approves the project in January 2016, the developer will break ground in March 2016 for an estimated completion in the summer 2017.

"Demographics show that Whole Foods' customers are travelling from Lakewood Ranch, north Sarasota and Manatee County to shop at the downtown store," said Garrison. "This new location will prevent that traffic from congesting the downtown roadways and has a regional draw. It's close to the interstate and other already-established shopping, and it has excellent neighborhood accessibility."

This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Whole Foods to come to University Parkway ."