Chappaqua Whole Foods Scheduled for November Opening
Whole Foods has targeted a Nov. 7 grand opening for its store that is now under construction at Chappaqua Crossing, likely to be the first of the commercial establishments to operate at the former Reader’s Digest campus.
New Castle Supervisor Robert Greenstein said that Whole Foods, the project’s anchor tenant, has the go-ahead to move forward following an inspection by its representatives of the structure’s shell last Tuesday.
After more than a decade of debate and changing plans ranging from all residential to mixed use, the project is finally taking shape. Tenants have already begun moving into the apartments inside the site’s signature cupola building, Greenstein said. Full occupancy of the 63 apartments is expected by June.
“I think it’s fair to say that most people are very excited about the prospect of Whole Foods opening and the people in the cupola building are very excited to be there and these are people who will be going to our downtown in Chappaqua,” he said.
With Whole Foods now beginning work on the structure’s interior, the tentative schedule for construction has crews completing the building shell and beginning foundation work this month, according to Greenstein. The steel frame is scheduled to be completed by late spring before the supermarket chain finishes the interior.
Greenstein said there has been no timetable set for the opening of Lifetime Fitness, the other large commercial tenant at the site. Whole Foods and Lifetime Fitness will each occupy 40,000 square feet of the 120,000 square feet of retail. The remaining entities will be a collection of smaller shops, including a bank and restaurants.
In order for Whole Foods to open, it will need to complete road improvements on Route 117 and Roaring Brook Road, Greenstein said. There will be the addition of a left-hand turn lane from northbound Route 117 onto Roaring Brook. Work on Roaring Brook Road, particularly the opening of that street’s entrance to the complex, also needs to be completed.
“I think when this is all done and said and completed, it’s a really great project,” Greenstein said. “They’ll certainly make the traffic increase at certain times of the day, but at other times of the day it’ll be better.”
For anyone looking to gain access to the campus through Thursday of this week, the Route 117 entrance is scheduled to be closed. It is slated to reopen on Friday.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
