Met Miami loses Whole Foods

Beleaguered upscale grocery chain Whole Foods will not be opening at
the Met Miami project in the city’s downtown, a company official said.
Russ Benblatt, Whole Foods’ regional marketing director for Florida,
said shifts in the construction schedule at the mixed-use development
were a factor. Jeremy Larkin, president of NAI Miami
Commercial Real Estate Services Worldwide, said downtown Miami had not
matured fast enough to accommodate Whole Foods’ revenue model and the
project’s changes gave them an out on their contract.