‘Secret’ Town Meeting Paves Way for Route 9 Whole Foods Location

It looks like Whole Foods may finally be coming to the Hudson Valley.

There have been rumors for years that the high-end grocery retailer was looking to expand its footprint to Dutchess County, but now it may actually be a reality.

The Hudson Valley has been desperately waiting for several stores and restaurants to finally make their way to the region. Sadly, talk of projects by Trader Joe's, Chick-Fil-A, White Castle and Whole Foods always wind up being wild rumors started by enthusiastic residents who are hopeful their favorite retailer will one day show up.

This time, however, it looks like Whole Foods may really be coming to the Hudson Valley.

A special meeting was recently held by the Hyde Park Town Board that is still shrouded in secrecy. All that's known is that during a portion of the meeting, a resolution was passed to "support endorsing Whole Foods' commitment to become the official grocer for the Town of Hyde Park Bellefeld development project."

There were two resolutions passed that evening, but the agenda only shows details of resolution two. Resolution one, which includes the statement about Whole Foods, is listed as "not available at time of publication." Even more curious, the special meeting is not included with the rest of the Town Board meetings available to view on YouTube. An August 17 Planning Board Meeting and an August 24 Zoning Board meeting are both archived, but the August 22 special meeting is not available to view.

It would make perfect sense that Whole Foods would be interested in setting up shop at the new Bellefeld project. The walkable community is being advertised as "a World-class, Multi-faceted, Hospitality and Culinary Tourism Destination." Located across from the Culinary Institute of America, the retail and residential development appears to be the perfect fit for Whole Foods.

Because the events at this Hyde Park special meeting are being kept secret, all we have is one brief statement on the agenda to pick apart. But that statement does speak volumes. The resolution to support "Whole Foods' commitment to become the official grocer" suggests that Whole Foods has already expressed interest in moving into Bellefield, and is now looking for an endorsement from the town, which appears to have been given on August 22.

We've been burned before, so be careful keeping your hopes up. However, this appears to be the most solid indication we've ever had that Whole Foods is interested in opening a Hudson Valley location. Be sure to download our app and keep those news alerts turned on so you can get the latest developments on this and other big stories from around the Hudson Valley.

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