AUSTIN, TX - Whole Foods has a new distribution center in the works, to be located in the Chicago area’s Pullman, IL.
"Our new Pullman distribution center will not only let us more conveniently serve our 25 Chicagoland locations, it also gives us easy access to our stores all across the Midwest," Michael Bashaw, Midwest Regional President for Whole Foods, said in a statement, according to the Chicago Tribune. "We are incredibly proud of the opportunity to be a part of a neighborhood that's so connected to Chicago's past and also such an important part of Chicago's future."
The new 140,000-square-foot facility will employ about 150 people, acting as a replacement for the retailer’s current operations in Munster, IN.
The Chicago City Council is expected to consider $7.4 million in tax increment financing to incentivise Whole Foods to pursue the facility, covering costs like preparation and other development expenses, according to the Tribune.
"Neighborhood investments like these — from stores in Hyde Park and Englewood to this distribution center in Pullman — will be vital community anchors and open up more avenues of opportunity for all Chicagoans," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in the statement made with Whole Foods.
The new distribution center is expected to open in early 2018, serving up to 70 Midwest stores as it continues to grow its footprint in the region.
With new openings slated in the area next year, including a new 365 store in the fall of 2017, AndNowUKnow will continue to follow movement with Whole Foods and all other retailers influencing the produce industry.
