ST. LOUIS—The historic neighborhood of Lafayette Square in St. Louis has a lot going for it. Just west of a downtown that has become more active in recent years, it is also filled with a set of gracious homes that residents have renovated over the years. But developers Chris Goodson and Jeffrey Randol believe its residents also want a place where they can buy fresh and organic foods. And on January 4, they will open Fields Foods, a full-service grocery store at 1500 Lafayette Ave. that will bring in homegrown foods from area farmers that practice sustainable agriculture.

The 37,000-square-foot store will be the latest chapter in the $120 million redevelopment of the former City Hospital site which includes Goodson's development of The Georgian, a condominium community with 105 units; The Palladium, headquarters for Butler's Pantry caterer; The Power Plant, a former power plant transformed into an entertainment and recreation center; Walgreen's, and The St. Louis Food Hub, a distributor and wholesaler of fresh food, also co-founded by Goodson and Randol.

“It's been a challenge for area residents to find fresh food options,” says Goodson. “Now the community will have a wide array of choices and many straight from the farmer's fields directly to our store. It's a very positive partnership because Fields Foods will be supporting both our local farmers and our neighborhoods.”

The project, which includes Fields Food and the St. Louis Food Hub's food distribution center, will cost $15 million. Fields Foods hired two local companies, general contractor BSI Constructors and architectural firm KAI Design & Build, for the building. The co-founders also hope to build other centers based on the Fresh Fields concept both locally and nationally.

Furthermore, Randol says that the building's proximity to the CBD and the city's expressways will "attract downtown workers who need to pick up fresh or prepared foods before getting on the nearby highway and heading home."

Instant Insights /

Fields Foods Comes to Lafayette Square

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