Forget 7-Eleven, Target and Ralphs. The real sign that downtown Los Angeles is a fully gentrified neighborhood is this:

Whole Foods is coming to DTLA. Yes, the rumors are true. Area city Councilman Jose Huizar made the announcement today. A 42,000-square-foot version of the uppity market is planned for …

… 770 S. Grand Ave., where a 700-unit luxury apartment complex is being developed.

Big news, hipsters.


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Huizar's office says the market, which could employ as many as 200 people, will open in 2015 if all goes according to plan.

Patrick Bradley, president of Whole Foods' Southern Pacific region, says in a statement forwarded to the Weekly and other outlets:

We are honored to finally be opening a store in Downtown L.A. We've been looking for the right space for close to 10 years, as we know that access to natural and organic foods in this neighborhood has been challenging. It makes us very happy to know that we will be filling this need.

Huizar says DTLA's 10-year growth from 10,000 to nearly 50,000 residents (not counting thousands of transients) presented the need for such high-priced, organic fare.

Huizar:

Downtown Los Angeles is like a city within the city that needs a diverse range of services — including grocery stores. Bringing Whole Foods Market to Downtown is long-awaited news that represents a major coup for Downtown and is an investment in this rapidly growing urban market.

We can just imagine the homeless people camping out nearby, asking shoppers if they can spare a 20-spot so they can buy some truffle oil Caprese salad.

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