CHICAGO (CBS) — Whole Foods has announced plans to build a distribution center in the Pullman neighborhood, creating 150 new jobs.
The 140,000-square foot facility would open in 2018 at a vacant site at 720 E. 111th St., just off the Bishop Ford Freeway.
READ MORE: 'Optimistic For His Continued Recovery' Doctors On Toddler Kayden Swann After He Was Shot On Lake Shore DriveThe distribution center would replace an existing facility in Munster, Indiana, serving 70 stores in eight Midwestern states and Ontario, Canada.
The sprawling plant is the latest development announced for the historic Pullman neighborhood. President Barack Obama recently declared the Pullman Historic District a national monument.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the Pullman site’s proximity to an expressway and a skilled workforce was part of the lure.
READ MORE: COVID-19 In Illinois: New Cases Down From One Week Ago, But Hospitalizations Still Rising“It’s not an accident that it’s not very far from our school at Olive Harvey Community College and the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics [Center], and that training capacity’s going to reaffirm Chicago’s leadership as what I call the inland port of America,” he said.