<p>The long-awaited Whole Foods Brooklyn location at Third & 3rd celebrates its grand opening. Its new building features a 20,000 sq ft rooftop greenhouse, the first-of-its kind to be integrated into a retail location. The 56,000 sq ft location offers a full range of high-quality natural and organic foods, including a vast assortment of locally sourced offerings from some of Brooklyn and the tri-state area's most highly regarded local artisans, according to a press release. In addition to the hundreds of locally sourced products, more than 200 additional items have been curated specifically for this store.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“It was our goal from the beginning to not only create a store that the Brooklyn community wanted to shop, but a place they felt best represented their borough, its rich history, and forward-thinking residents. We’re excited to continue to support the growth of hundreds of producers and neighbors who, like us, call Brooklyn home,” said Christina Minardi, President of Whole Foods Market’s Northeast Region.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In addition to its unrivaled selection of locally sourced products, this new store has been designed to be one of the most cutting-edge and environmentally friendly grocery stores in the country. So much so, that it has inspired the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to write a case study on the many wind, solar and water management programs being utilized within the building.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The store's green building features include:<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">• A rooftop greenhouse, in partnership with Gotham Greens.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">• A state-of-the-art CO2 refrigeration system operated in tandem with a combined heat and power plant provides the store with on-site electric generation and captures exhaust heat that would otherwise be discarded.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">• Reclaimed and re-purposed materials including more than 250,000 bricks from a previously decommissioned building in Newark, NJ and wood being used for paneling and product displays throughout the store that once served as part of the Coney Island boardwalk.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Enjoy your new Whole Foods, Brooklyn!<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/" target="_new"> Whole Foods </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
