Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Brooklyn's First Whole Foods Passes Big Zoning Hurdle
By
James Thilman
Published Feb 28, 2012
Modified Feb 28, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
James Thilman
Published Feb 28, 2012
Modified Feb 28, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The proposal to build a massive, 52,000-square-foot Whole Foods in Gowanus was unanimously approved this afternoon by the Board of Standards and Appeals, Brownstoner reports. So it looks like some local residents will have their loyalties and values put to the test: Brooklyn's gentry loves buying stuff labeled organic , but they also hate chains and genetically engineered food.
Slated to be the seventh location in New York, Whole Foods bought the 4.2 acre site in Gowanus eight years ago, but due to economic woes and traffic concerns, plans were abandoned in 2006. By June 2011 there was renewed hope that the corner of Third Avenue and Third Street might welcome the megastore. After today's vote, a Whole Foods rep vowed to break ground "as soon as possible."
Critics are worried about the potentially crippling traffic—Whole Foods expects 68 percent of shoppers will drive to the location, on a formerly toxic industrial property—as well as the familiar concerns about its impact on locally-owned purveyors and rising rents. While not as large as the Whole foods in the Bowery, the new Gowanus location is expected to include a 20,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse and a parking lot replete with an electric vehicle recharging station. Once Whole Foods obtains the necessary city permits, construction will proceed at a fast pace, with a projected opening in early-to-mid-2013.
Tagged
brooklyn
gentrification
Gowanus
Whole Foods
James Thilman
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .