Jeffrey Thompson
RioCan executive Jeffrey Thompson has waded into a lively discussion on the Facebook page Leaside Community Thursday to make it clear that Whole Foods will open at 1860 Bayview. Oh wait. Mr. Thompson didn’t just say that Whole Foods will open, he said Whole Foods WILL open. Like, let there be no mistake about this opening, friends. Thanks to Thompson for being candid. The entire series of posts at Leaside Community is fun to read, but it would seem that for an educated opinion, Mr. Thompson is the boss man. He is the asset manager at RioCan, according to his Facebook page. They own 1860 Bayview. There has been enormous speculation since the complex opened in the Spring without its anchor tenants anywhere in sight. Many have said that Whole Foods would just pull out. Well for all we know WF might like to pull out, but whether that is financially or legally easy is best left for Mr. Thompson to say. Or Whole Foods, if they ever said anything. The story that Whole Foods would have to pay to create a left-hand turn off Broadway onto Bayview seems just plain wrong, and Thompson says this. Whole Foods is a tenant. Tenants do not pay millions of dollars for the responsibility of the developer. The left turn lane requirement for this project has been on the books since they knocked down Brennan Pontiac.
