Whole Foods Market has announced it will open its first store in Kirkland, which will act as a retail anchor for the redeveloped Village of Totem Lake – the land that currently houses Totem Lake Malls.

There is currently a Trader Joe’s at Totem Lake Malls. According to their corporate office, they have no plans to relocate at this time.

The 40,000 square foot store will be located in the mixed-use development at I-405 and Northeast 124th Street and is anticipated to open during summer 2017 when the redevelopment is finished.

According to Whole Foods, the store will feature a community butcher, fishmonger, baker and a team of chefs who will prepare take-out meals. The store is expected to have 150 employees.

“We’re so excited to be joining the community in Kirkland and we look forward to sharing our mission and values with our new neighbors,“ Whole Foods Market’s President of the Pacific Northwest region Joe Rogoff said in a press release. “Creating jobs, supporting local producers and finding opportunities to partner with area schools and non-profits are core to our philosophy and practices, and we’re eager to begin this work in Kirkland. In the next few months, we’ll be working very closely with the people of Kirkland to design a store experience that reflects the needs of the community.”

The city of Kirkland’s Economic Development Director Ellen Miller Wolfe said the store will be a welcome addition to the city’s existing grocery stores.

“There have been a number of groceries that have gone out over the years, so this fills a gap as far as that goes, for people who are currently living here,” she said.

Wolfe added that it represents forward thinking on the part of CenterCal, which owns the property.

“It’s a great anchor for this shopping center, for a retail center,” she said. “They’re thinking not just about the retail anchor. They’re thinking this is a new neighborhood…it’s not just fulfilling the needs of this mall, it’s going to help this have a sense of place.”

The announcement has also received unanimous support from the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, according to Director Bruce Wynn.

“Everybody thinks it’s a positive thing,” he said.

“Whole Foods Market will be a tremendous addition. The quality offering of Whole Foods Market will complement the redeveloped 800,000-square-foot project. The Village at Totem Lake, a walkable, mixed-use community will also include a theatre, residential, office and retail to serve the needs of this wonderful trade area,” CenterCal Properties President Jean Paul Wardy said in a press release statement.

CenterCal purchased the Totem Lake Malls property earlier this year and expects construction to begin in about a year. In addition to a proposed 400 residential units, the redevelopment will have a village commons, park and high-end restaurants. The master plan anticipates Metro Transit will add a bus stop along 120th Avenue Northeast, the location of a joint effort between the city and CenterCal as part of a redesign in order to make it more friendly to pedestrians that could include more sidewalks and walkways.

The first conceptual design conference with the city’s design review board was held July 6.