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Whole Foods Market Could Bring 200 Jobs To Downtown LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — One of the nation's biggest organic food retailers is coming to downtown Los Angeles - and hundreds of jobs could be coming with it.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports the Whole Foods Market at the intersection of Eighth and Grand won't open until later this year, but it's already stirring up buzz among local residents.

The new 41,000-square-foot flagship store currently under construction at 770 Grand Avenue is part of a larger development that will include 700 residential units and 8,000 square feet of additional retail space, according to
Whole Foods spokeswoman Erica Debroy.

Up to 200 full-time jobs are expected to be genereted by the project, as developers anticipate thousands of area residents and business people in adjoining buildings to patronize the store once it opens in November.

"We want to offer the best grocery store that the neighborhood can possibly have, and we want to offer additional fun things that the community actually needs," said Debroy.

City Councilman Jose Huizar, who was on hand with developers Carmel Partners to announce the opening date during a downtown event, said the store will "improve livability and will bring "even more great investment for downtown."

"Residents of downtown have wanted a Whole Foods for years, and I'm very happy that my office has helped deliver it," Huizar said.

The planned arrival of Whole Foods follows recent openings of other supermarket destinations, including a City Target location at FIGat7th and a nearby Smart & Final Extra store between FIGat7th and L.A. Live.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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