Whole Foods

Whole Foods enlisted the help of EEA to establish a three-acre site along the north branch of the Chicago River at 1500 N. Kingsbury.

The new 80,000 square-foot grocery store covered the ground floor and above it a two-level parking garage. Additionally, a 25,000 square-foot permeable paver surface parking lot was installed on the north side of the site.

At the southeast corner of the building 4,500 square-feet of ground floor space was constructed for additional retail stores and to provide access to a future residential high-rise building.

Many innovative design concepts were incorporated into the project to achieve LEED certification, including permeable pavers, erosion control measures, water quality improvements and runoff rate reduction.Due to the property’s location adjacent to the Chicago River, EEA was able to discharge stormwater directly into the river after acquiring numerous permits from the City of Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the US Army Corps of Engineers.