Whole Foods Market is moving into Lakeview's Belmont and Halsted corner, taking the grocery anchor spot at the new Lakeview Connection development and adding another full-service supermarket to an already busy stretch of Belmont. The two-story project replaces a long-vacant bank site and packs in a sizable footprint with underground parking and ground-floor retail, further reshaping a block that has been in near-constant transition.
Crain's Reports Whole Foods Lease
According to Crain's Chicago Business, Whole Foods has signed on as the anchor grocery tenant at Lakeview Connection. The Crain's report, published April 17, 2026, notes that leasing efforts secured a national market for the two-story building. The piece did not offer any projected opening date, so neighbors eager for a new grocery run will have to wait a bit longer for a firm timeline.
About The Development
The Lakeview Connection complex spans the Clark, Belmont and Halsted frontages and totals roughly 59,000 to 60,000 square feet, according to the developer's listing. Hubbard Street Group describes the building as purpose-built for a "national credit grocer" on much of the upper level, paired with smaller storefronts along Belmont and Clark. Marketing materials indicate the grocer is slated to occupy most of the second floor and a portion of the ground floor, with underground parking and a dedicated loading setup to keep deliveries off the main streets.
Originally Marketed For Amazon Fresh
This corner was not always headed for a Whole Foods sign. Early plans and leasing brochures pitched the space as an Amazon Fresh, with the tech-driven grocer expected to anchor the eastern section of the project and the full second floor. Chicago YIMBY and previous listings identified Amazon Fresh as the first grocery tenant lined up for the block. The pivot to Whole Foods fits into a broader rethink of how big-box grocers use their real estate, even when the building has already gone up.
Why The Switch Makes Sense
On Jan. 27, 2026, Amazon said it would shutter its physical Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores and convert some locations into Whole Foods Market outlets while boosting same-day grocery delivery, according to national coverage from the AP. That strategy of rolling certain Amazon Fresh leases into the Whole Foods brand has left a crop of newly built, grocery-ready spaces primed for Whole Foods expansion. Lakeview Connection appears to be one of the sites benefiting from that corporate shuffle.
What This Means For Shoppers
Lakeview is not exactly a Whole Foods desert. The company already operates a store at 3201 N. Ashland, and its store directory lists that site as a full-service location today. Whole Foods Market notes that the existing Lakeview store offers its usual spread of prepared foods, plus delivery and pickup options that many neighbors already weave into their weekly routines. A second Whole Foods just off Belmont could shift where people shop, how delivery routes are planned and how foot traffic flows along the strip, even if the salad bar options end up looking pretty familiar.
Timeline And Next Steps
Crain's did not identify an opening date for the Belmont and Halsted location, and the developer's leasing materials still refer to the anchor slot only as a national grocery tenant, with no public ribbon-cutting schedule attached. For now, the best clues will be on the ground: building permits, visible interior build-out, hiring posts and fresh signage. We will be watching city records and local job boards for signs that the deal is moving from paper to construction and, eventually, to checkout lines.
