After years of speculation – and months following the formal announcement – demolition and construction have begun on the new Whole Foods Market coming to 203 38th Avenue North. Development partners J Square Developers and SJC Ventures, the group behind the project, said they completed underground infrastructure work in October, and have now received the green light from the city to begin vertical construction. 

Jay Miller with J Square Developers said they anticipate finishing construction on the outer shell by early spring, at which point the building will be turned over to Whole Foods for interior construction. The group also shared the first rendering of what the free-standing market and surrounding area will look like, situated along 38th Avenue North and 3rd Street North.

The popular organic marketplace, now owned by Amazon, will be located next to two Publixes on a busy stretch of 4th Street North. Founded in Austin, Texas in 1980, Whole Foods describes itself as “the world’s leader in natural and organic foods,” with more than 500 stores open worldwide.

This will be the first Whole Foods to ever open in St. Petersburg, with the closest current locations operating out of Tampa, Clearwater and Sarasota. Developers have not announced a timeline for opening.

Whole Foods describes itself as a mission-driven company on its website:

“Who are we? Well, we seek out the finest natural and organic foods available, maintain the strictest quality standards in the industry, and have an unshakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture. Add to that the excitement and fun we bring to shopping for groceries, and you start to get a sense of what we’re all about. Oh yeah, we’re a mission-driven company too.”