Novato Whole Foods starts interior construction, eyes March ope...

A Whole Foods grocery store that will occupy the bottom floor of the Millworks building in downtown Novato is taking shape and on schedule to open in March 2010, an executive with the company said.

[wow]

Did you know that this whole foods project used San Francisco Unions to do all the work? No locals are being used to build this whole foods. It is sad but the Novato City Council is consistent in their incompetance.

It is time to bring back republicans into office. At least republicans run things like a business where the democrats run things from their heart and their feelings.

[FatFreddysCat]

Like a losing business. Have you forgotten the 8 years of a Republican President and 6 years of a Republican controlled Congress which tanked the economy almost beyond repair?
>...At least republicans run things like a business...

wow wrote:

Did you know that this whole foods project used San Francisco Unions to do all the work? No locals are being used to build this whole foods. It is sad but the Novato City Council is consistent in their incompetance.
It is time to bring back republicans into office. At least republicans run things like a business where the democrats run things from their heart and their feelings.

[BUDDY BOY]

They call it Whole Paycheck. I'll take my mega-Safeway, thank you very much. But I'm probably the only guy in Novato who thinks that impressive structure is a vast improvement over the crappy old mill that used to be there!!!

[A Mistake]

Whole foods will not help downtown merchants.With only one entrance and one exit.I drove there last week and you must enter and exit their lot from a small alley. This was our city council at it's best.Redwood blvd would have been a lot better place as it has two lanes in both directions.

[novato to sf]

Good news! Many have held the opinion that this opening would not happen, even myself at one point. This is good news for downtown Novato. Hopefully they can lease the majority of the remaining units as well.

Now it is time for the city to get the theatre open, a parking facility on Machin (across from the police station) and closing down Sherman Ave for a downtown plaza. These three items will accelerate true revitalization in downtown Novato.

[Rand]

Millworks was a great idea when SMART was at least pretending to go downtown. Then the knuckleheads took downtown off the station list and now Millworks residents and visitors will be stuck driving their cars.

[Snark Attack]

wow wrote:

Did you know that this whole foods project used San Francisco Unions to do all the work? No locals are being used to build this whole foods. It is sad but the Novato City Council is consistent in their incompetance.
It is time to bring back republicans into office. At least republicans run things like a business where the democrats run things from their heart and their feelings.

Basically what you are saying is that they have a heart of cold not a heart of gold.

[novato to sf]

Pretty funny how this article only garnered 5 comments. Go figure a positive article about a business actually working on opening.. Where did all the complainers go? I assume to the articles entiteled "Whole Foods Delayed" or "Millworks having trouble renting now".. Where are you multiple posters that said Whole Foods would "never open"? Comon lets hear it..

[Millworks state prison]

Ok, so Whole foods is coming - woop tee doo. How's it going with filling up those apartments (no longer condos since no one is buying) so you can get jacked walking back to your car with both arms full? If the IJ was honest about its reporting it would look into the Section 8 numbers - either tell us how many are going in, or disprove our ranting and prove it's not happening and shut us up. your silence is damning.

[No Dummy]

Rand wrote:

Millworks was a great idea when SMART was at least pretending to go downtown. Then the knuckleheads took downtown off the station list and now Millworks residents and visitors will be stuck driving their cars.

They took the train station out of downtown becuase they want it next to the commons project (Firemans fund) The fix is in here and it all comes from the present city council. Watch and you will see the fix is in !!!!!

[novato]

WF, welcome. no need to drive to San Rafael.

[Rational approach]

Well, we will see if Whole in the head Foods is more honest about opening their Novato store than they have been about opening their new Mill Valley store, where they leased the old Albertson's just to keep Trader Joe's from coming in....

[Northbaygirl]

So Section 8 folks are moving into Millworks? This must be the flurry of new shoppers the Novato City Council counted on Millworks to bring in to Downtown Novato....Right. Talk about a disconnect...

[Spending cash elsewhere]

novato to sf wrote:

Where are you multiple posters that said Whole Foods would "never open"? Comon lets hear it..

Whether it opens or not is a non-issue for me. I'm voting with my pocketbook and plan to never patronize any store at that location. To do so would only encourage Signature Properties and like companies to exploit and ruin other small communities.

[Marin Native]

wow wrote:

Did you know that this whole foods project used San Francisco Unions to do all the work? No locals are being used to build this whole foods. It is sad but the Novato City Council is consistent in their incompetance.
It is time to bring back republicans into office. At least republicans run things like a business where the democrats run things from their heart and their feelings.

Unions are not hired to do contstruction work, Contractors are hired usually via a bid process.

Perhaps you meant to criticize them for hiring San Francisco based contractors rather than those based in Novato or Marin?

A San Francisco Union worker, IS a local worker. For instance, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (Painters, Drywall Finishers, Floorcovering, Glaziers, Wallcoverers, Sign and Display Workers) are based in Livermore (Main Office - District Council 16) and serve the entire Bay Area. There is one union for these trades serving all of the Bay Area. Unions have gone through consolidation just like other industries.

As a contractor, I appreciate when provisions are made to hire local contractors over out of area. Most define local as Bay Area. Even if a Novato construction company were hired, the trademen could come from anywhere in the Bay Area.

[Pulipaca]

wow wrote:

Did you know that this whole foods project used San Francisco Unions to do all the work? No locals are being used to build this whole foods. It is sad but the Novato City Council is consistent in their incompetance.
It is time to bring back republicans into office. At least republicans run things like a business where the democrats run things from their heart and their feelings.

Whole Foods is a new age, low wage anti union corporation. You can rest assured that there will be no union jobs created in Novato by Whole Foods. And there will be very few people from Marin working at the Novato Whole Foods unless maybe a deal is struck with Signature Properties where the new Whole Foods hires get a break on rental of a freeway side apartment at the Millworks.

Now that would be a creative way to rent out at least some of those transportation apartments. The commute would take a few minutes on an elevator, no trains or autos needed. It would open Novato up to having people from all over the world that Whole Foods hires, and could put Novato on the map as being the most iNOVATive city in the western U.S.

[Marin Native]

Pulipaca wrote:

<quoted text>Whole Foods is a new age, low wage anti union corporation. You can rest assured that there will be no union jobs created in Novato by Whole Foods. And there will be very few people from Marin working at the Novato Whole Foods unless maybe a deal is struck with Signature Properties where the new Whole Foods hires get a break on rental of a freeway side apartment at the Millworks.
Now that would be a creative way to rent out at least some of those transportation apartments. The commute would take a few minutes on an elevator, no trains or autos needed. It would open Novato up to having people from all over the world that Whole Foods hires, and could put Novato on the map as being the most iNOVATive city in the western U.S.

How much do they make at Whole Foods Pulipaca? Can you be a little more accurate than your post regarding airline pilot salaries in another thread?

Non-union does not always translate to poor wages and conditions. The retail clerks union want to organize Whole Foods but it appears that the workers may be happy without.

A quick check shows that Whole Foods is rated one of the top 100 companies to work for per Fortune Magazine...for 12 years in a row. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers/fortu...

The benefit package doesn't appear all that shabby either.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers/benef...

I am not trying to defend non-union vs. union or Whole Foods. Pulipaca likes to make knee-jerk reaction statements without any fact check and I thought I would shed some light.

[livia warner]

I,am so Happy Novato, Ca is getting a Whole Foods!! i have been traveling to whole foods sense 1994 when i moved to Marin, County. First to Mill Vally, then to San Rafael, and now to Petaluma. Thank You Whole foods for not letting the nay sayers stop this project!