BSA green-lights Brooklyn Whole Foods

The city’s Board of Standards and Appeals unanimously approved a variance for Whole Foods Market to build its long-awaited store in Gowanus, the first Whole Foods for the borough. Both the company and local supporters say they hope the market will provide economic growth for the Brooklyn neighborhood — an underdeveloped neighborhood not far from a Superfund site.

The project has seen its opponents, who argued that a Whole Foods Market in the neighborhood would both increase local traffic (especially with the nearby Barclays Center) and would also set off a high-end development streak, which would increase local rents.

The 52,000-square-foot store, to be located on the corner of Third Avenue and 3rd Street, will have a greenhouse on top and a parking lot off to the side.

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Construction could begin as soon as April with a projected completion date of early- to mid-2013.

[Brownstoner] and [NYT]