Letter to Walter Robb, CEO if Whole Foods Market - Full Service Groceries

Letter

Dear Mr. Robb:

I write today to bring to your attention what I believe is a opportunity for your company and the residents of Syracuse, NY. This is inspired in part by Whole Foods' recent expansions in Eastern New York. As I have long said, Upstate New York is a wonderful place to live and work.

Given this recent growth in New York, I hope Whole Foods will consider opening a store in downtown Syracuse. Every day, nearly 30,000 employees come to work in downtown Syracuse and nearly 3,000 live in the quaint neighborhoods of Armory, Franklin and Hanover Square. In fact, the number of residents living in downtown Syracuse has increased over 30% in the past three years and predictions for the future are even higher amidst a current 99% housing occupancy rate. Downtown Syracuse is also one of the two fastest growing residential population centers in all of Onondaga County.

In addition to the tremendous residential population growth, downtown Syracuse continues to attract more and more businesses, as well. The City has countless development projects underway and many recently completed, including a brand new hotel in the heart of Armory Square. Moreover, 15 new companies have decided to locate in the downtown area in the past year, as well as 17 other companies who have decided to expand their presence. The Downtown Committee, citing their study, says that as a result of this population and business growth, there are approximately $40 million in untapped retail opportunities downtown, including an estimated $2.5 million in annual sales that a full-service grocer like Whole Foods could generate.

Knowing your company is expert at assessing new markets and that much time and research goes into vetting locations, I invite Whole Foods to take a serious look at the downtown Syracuse area. Whether it is an emerging neighborhood, like the up-and-coming Inner Harbor or Armory Square, I am confident that the downtown market is ripe for a full-service grocer and that the opportunity would be a profitable one.

Again, I remain hopeful that this request sparks your interest in looking at downtown Syracuse and offer the resources of my office to facilitate a meeting with the City of Syracuse. Please feel free to contact my Regional Director should you require any additional information about this opportunity.

I look forward to welcoming Whole Foods to more communities across New York in the future.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

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