St. Paul Whole Foods to relocate to Snelling and Selby in 2016

Whole Foods Market has announced the relocation of its Mac-Groveland neighborhood store. Currently located at 30 South Fairview Avenue, Whole Foods Market will be moving to the intersection of Snelling and Selby Avenue. The company expects the new store to open in 2016.

Ryan Companies real estate and construction will be building The Vintage on Selby, a mixed-use development at the intersection of Selby and Snelling. The complex will bring 208 housing units, four townhouses, the new Whole Foods store and a new bank to the area. The five-story development will increase the size of Whole Foods to 39,000 sq. feet.

Whole Foods has been providing organic and natural foods to St. Paul residents for more than 17 years. They expect to provide a wider variety of products and services after the relocating to the larger space.

“Whole Foods Market is really a local store, a community store. We would like to listen to our customers, and put our best efforts in providing what the community needs,” Melanie Kiernan, Marketing and Community Relations Specialist for the St. Paul location said. “The new one is definitely larger, has more space, ” Kiernan continued. “This store will provide more products and better selections for customers.” She also mentioned that the new one is less than a mile away from the one at 30 South Fairview Avenue.

Regular customers at the local store expressed excitement and concern towards the relocation project.

“I think it will be a bigger store, which will be nice because it’s a little cramped here. I am excited for it actually,” said Maureen Dunn, a customer at Whole Foods. “I am not exactly sure whether it’s going to be on that corner where the bank is because there is a parking lot behind that bank, but that would be tricky for them. I guess if I can’t find parking, that might change my shopping there.”

“My mom likes to go here a lot, and it’s healthy foods, that’s more important I guess than the distance,” Maggie Beide said.

The move has not generated major issues for campus residents.

“Whole Foods is a little pricey for me, so I have mostly gone to Kowalski’s or Target in the past. The move will not really affect me,” said Lizzy Kelleher ’17.