Whole Foods breaks ground for Detroit market

Whole Foods breaks ground at Midtown site for company's 20,000-square-foot market in Detroit

DETROIT (AP) -- Whole Foods Market Inc. has broken ground at the site of its new market in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood.

Mayor Dave Bing, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Whole Foods Market Inc.'s co-chief executive Walter Robb took part in the ceremony.

The Austin, Texas-based retailer plans to open a 20,000-square-foot supermarket with about 75 employees next year. The company began looking at Midtown in 2010.

Midtown is one of the few areas in the city that is seeing population growth. It is anchored by Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical Center, the Detroit Institute of Arts and Orchestra Hall.

Whole Foods also would fill a grocery void in the area. Detroiters have long complained about having few places to buy fresh fruit, vegetables and produce.