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Updated: 8:11 AM Nov 12, 2011
Whole Foods Moving In, Existing Businesses Moving Out
A new multi-million dollar shopping center is on its way to Tallahassee, but the development means existing businesses will get the boot.
Posted: 12:29 PM Nov 10, 2011Reporter: Lanetra Bennett Email Address: lanetra.bennett@wctv.tv |
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[UPDATE] Tallahassee, Florida - November 10, 2011 -
Women's World Fitness Center in Tallahassee is closing on December 20th.
It's because the building will be torn down.
Beth Schwartz is a longtime member at Women's World. She says, "We just didn't have a whole lot of time to prepare for it. I think it's a blow to the people who work out here, the people who work here, and really the whole community."
The entire structure in the Miracle Plaza on Thomasville Road will be demolished.
A $20-million shopping center, which includes a Whole Foods Market, will be built in its place.
Women's World has had about 16,000 members since it opened in the plaza in 2002.
Members say they're upset because the gym is the only fitness center that offers women-only membership.
Women's World members can move their membership to Gold's Gym.
Developers say Whole Foods will provide 120 new jobs. The center as a whole is expected to bring about 250 jobs in.
That is not comforting to Women's World members because most of the 100 employees at the gym may lose their jobs.
Schwartz says, "I think they kind of got a raw deal here."
Lili Battles has been working at the Catholics Books in the plaza for five years.
She says she's sad the store is closing but believes it can be a positive thing in the long run.
Battles says, "In the end, it will be a nice place. I'm hoping that we can come back with the old rent in the new place."
Unfortunately, with the transition, Women's World would no longer be able to provide its child care center; which is the biggest blow for many of the members.
A Women's World owner says Florida building laws, and city permitting processes make it impossible for the gym to simply re-locate. But he says there is hope for Women's World to re-open in the future.
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Tallahassee, Florida - November 10, 2011 -
A new multi-million dollar shopping center is on its way to Tallahassee, but the development means existing businesses will get the boot.
Last week, Eyewitness News reported that a Whole Foods market is coming to Tallahassee. It will be a part of a suburban-style shopping plaza. The catch is that the existing structure at Miracle Plaza will be torn down, leaving some of these businesses out of business.
Watch the video above for more information on the closures.
Latest Comments
To J. Do you know anything at all about the many people who both work and patronize the businesses in that plaza to call them trash? I, for one, will continue to patronize our locally owned business which already provides us with organic foods.
They don't call it Whole Paycheck Market for nothing... Still, glad to see one here. Great location - near Midtown and Betton Hills.
They closed this thing because you couldn't keep your footing when entering the theatre. They never cleaned the carpet.
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