POMPANO BEACH, FL-Atlanta-based industrial developer IDI has closed a 10-year lease with Whole Foods, an upscale supermarket specializing in natural and organic foods, at the Pompano Business Center here. The 71,754 sf space in Building M will serve as the new South Florida distribution center for the ever-expanding grocer starting June 1.

Larry Dinner, vice president of leasing at IDI's Fort Lauderdale office, represented his company in the deal, and Harry Tangalakis, senior vice president in the Fort Lauderdale office of CB Richard Ellis, represented Whole Foods. The new facility will serve all 14 existing Whole Foods stores throughout Florida and four new stores under development in Jacksonville, Bayhill, Naples and Wellington.

"This building, which is close to Interstate 95 and Florida's Turnpike, provides a great location for Whole Foods to serve its South Florida stores," Dinner says. "Whole Foods needed expanded distribution space, and Pompano Building M gives the company state-of-the-art space in a class-A facility."

A total of 51,308 sf remains available for lease in the building. To date, IDI has developed 115 million sf of industrial space valued at $5.6 billion. Last month, the company signed American Tire Distributors to leases at Miramar and another warehouse in Tampa, totaling 291,659 sf.

The company currently has more developments under way in Tampa, including 301 Business Center, as well as a site in Fort Pierce that is set to begin construction in September. It also has its sights set on the Jacksonville market, says Scott Helms, IDI's senior vice president/regional development officer in Fort Lauderdale. "Whenever we lease 50% or more of one project, we start another," Helms tells GlobeSt.com.