Whole Foods to go into empty Blue Goose site in St. Charles

Whole Foods Market will be filling the empty Blue Goose Market spot in downtown St. Charles, city officials said.

Blue Goose Market closed its doors in March of 2022.

On Friday, city officials announced that Whole Foods Market would be going into the site at 300 S. Second St. after working out a deal with former Blue Goose Market President and CEO Paul Lencioni, who also serves as a member of the St. Charles City Council.

A press release from the city stated that a regional commercial development company specializing in grocery anchors, the Chicago-based Fort Union, “acquired the property and has successfully entered into a lease agreement with Whole Foods Market.”

“The development plan includes substantial improvements to the building, a reconstruction and resurfacing of the parking lot and the completion of the First Street streetscape. These enhancements will not only elevate the shopping experience for residents but also contribute to the overall charm and economic growth of downtown St. Charles,” the release said.

St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek spoke shortly after the press release came out and said there were about five proposals offered regarding the property in the last 16 months and that the one for Whole Foods Market “was the optimum one for us and also him (Lencioni).”

Vitek acknowledged that the city has lost the mom-and-pop flavor of the Blue Goose but that securing a grocery retailer like Whole Foods would be great for the city and the whole Fox Valley.

“There are some studies, a couple of years ago Forbes did one that found within one mile of where a Whole Foods is located, property values do tend to see an increase,” she said. “There isn’t a Whole Foods nearby. The nearest location is Wheaton … Naperville and Schaumburg for some. Not every community gets these, and this is a huge win for us and for the Fox Valley, I would say.”

Vitek said the St. Charles City Council approved the brokered deal at a meeting June 26 and that the closing with Lencioni was completed three days later on June 29.

Lencioni was phoned multiple times for comment and did not respond.

The public reaction, Vitek said, is already appearing on social media. She said that replacing the former market “was one of the number one things residents wanted to see from our city.”

“How are we going to fill this empty building was a concern of our residents, and I think for the most part residents are happy. It is a premier brand,” she said. “There have been discussions about this in the past about getting a Whole Foods and years ago – the demographic that we had, our economic data which Whole Food calculated, was never meeting that need. But now, we’re becoming such an economic, booming city along with our sister cities, and I feel very fortunate that we landed it. I think for the most part residents are happy. People are excited to see something come in that building.”

The city noted that “the arrival of Whole Foods Market at the former Blue Goose Market location represents a significant milestone in meeting the community’s need for a downtown grocery store” and that “the development will enhance convenience, accessibility and choice for residents and visitors, while also attracting additional foot traffic and supporting other local businesses in the downtown area.”

Regarding when the Whole Foods will open, Vitek said officials are expecting completion sometime next year, depending on supply issues.

“If things continue to change and we find that it’s easier for developers and builders to get materials, I’m hopeful that maybe it could be open sooner,” she said. “I think our residents and businesses should start seeing, at least by the end of the year, some movement on just the property, so probably some external work.”

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.