WASHINGTON, DC—Whole Foods Market has signed a lease for the 40,000-square foot ground floor retail component at 965 Florida Ave., NW, a project being developed by MRP Realty and Ellis Development Group that at one time had been dubbed The Griffith.

The development is a 370,000-square foot mixed-use building that will also have 400 residential units, 30% of which will be affordable. MRP and development partner Ellis won the development rights from the District in 2013. Plans call for MRP and Ellis to begin processing the Planned Unit Development this summer.

No target opening date has been set for the Whole Foods component, but local residents in Shaw are no doubt eager for its arrival. "For years, residents this side of U Street and Shaw have been eagerly waiting for a high-quality natural and organic grocery store," says Chip Ellis, president of Ellis Development Group, in a prepared statement.

The project is also notable as it was among the first wave in the District to be partially funded Fundrise, a crowdfunding platform.

The original plans for the project called for the ground floor retail component to house Griffith Market – an indoor farmers' market that would have catered to small and independent grocers and retailers.

Instant Insights /

Whole Foods to Open in Shaw

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