New Whole Foods opens in Tampa

TAMPA — A new Whole Foods Market has opened at Carrollwood in Tampa. The natural and organic food retailer has been a hit among Floridians — this is the market's second location in Tampa, and it's 17th in the state.

The new, free-standing store occupies 37,144 square feet at the site of the former JCPenney Credit Processing building, which was demolished after Houston-based Weingarten Realty bought the 6.3-acre property in 2011, according to a statement by Weingarten.

“We identified the closed down JCPenney building as a great opportunity to shift the site from an office use to a grocery location, filling a missing void in the strong Carrollwood and North Tampa market communities,” says Terry Marks, regional development director for Weingarten Realty, in the release. Weingarten Realty Investors (NYSE: WRI) is a shopping center owner, manager, and developer.