It’s official. Collier County is getting its second Whole Foods Market.
Rumors surrounding the construction of a new shopping center near Davis Boulevard in East Naples and what stores it will feature have been circulating since updated plans for the center were submitted to Collier County in February.
Those plans included architectural drawings for the mixed use development showing an unnamed “Organic Foods Market” as a tenant, according to previous reporting by Naples Daily News.
Many residents in the area speculated it would be a Whole Foods, with the grocery store’s CEO in 2023 saying he wants to open 30 new stores every year.
In a July 23 email to this newspaper, Amazon, the parent company of Whole Foods, confirmed plans for a store at a location off Davis Boulevard, not far from where the Collier County Boys & Girls Club is located.
“I can confirm a Whole Foods Market store is coming to this location, but have no other info to share at this time,” the email from Carrie Rodgers Hunte of the Amazon Grocery Communications Department said.
The Amazon-affiliated natural food company, which first opened in 1980, currently has 536 stores in the U.S. and several stores in the U.K. and Canada, according to the company’s website.
Nearby Lee County has one Whole Foods on Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers.
The company was acquired by Amazon in 2017, and now operates as a subsidiary.
No timeframe for the store’s construction or opening was available.
As of July 24, there was no sign of construction or excavation at the planned site. The site was overgrown with weeds and had a few piles of gravel and stone.
What else will the development feature?
The updated plans submitted to the Collier County showed additional retail buildings and restaurants along with several hundred rental units and townhomes.
The property, which is just over 82 acres in total, will also include a large nature preserve, according to the plans.
You can reach Naples Daily News reporter Alexa Ryan by emailing Alexa.Ryan@naplesnews.com. Follow her on Instagram @alexaryanreports or X @AlexaRyan_.
This article originally appeared on Marco Eagle: Amazon confirms new Whole Foods store in East Naples, off Davis Blvd.
Reporting by Alexa Ryan, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Marco Eagle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alexa Ryan, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
