The lowdown on Trader Joe’s

When we learned that Trader Joe’s plans to open its first Dallas grocery store on Lower Greenville, contributing editor Jeff Siegel dove into reporting the details. Read excerpts below, and find his full post at lakewood.advocatemag.com. (For Siegel’s viewpoints on what Trader Joe’s location choice says of our neighborhood, turn to page 82.)

Why did Trader Joe’s decide on a new store instead of going into the old Whole Foods up the street? Because they wanted to. And, yes, it’s that simple, said one commercial real estate type. Forget any conspiracy theories about the Whole Foods site and owner Mitch Rasansky; Trader Joe’s is infamous for doing exactly what it wants to do and not explaining its motives.

When we will know what the store looks like? Pretty much after it’s built. Trader Joe’s is so secretive that John Hetzel of Madison Partners, the developer bringing in Trader Joe’s, said he couldn’t discuss any design plans.

Will there be enough parking? More than enough, says Hetzel. City code calls for 75 spaces for a 15,000-square-foot building, and Hetzel said there will be two over- flow lots on Sears and Bell behind the store. Which, from the way he described the parking, makes it seem like the store will front on Greenville Avenue. our written stories. Scan this code with your mobile device, which takes you to our Youtube channel. Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com

What does this mean for the Whole Foods site? No one is quite sure. Walmart was tipped as the new tenant, but that deal was delayed — and may have fallen through. If, in fact, Walmart is the new tenant, the world’s biggest and most powerful retailer almost certainly won’t be scared off by Trader Joe’s. If the new tenant is someone else, they could well be re-considering their options, and the store will remain empty for a while.

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