Chesapeake development announcement?

[Steve]

Spartan, go back, edit that and let's call it a night without another fight, ok?

[metro]

What's CB2?

CB2 - Modern Furniture, Home Accessories, and more at cb2.com

[Spartan]

Spartan, go back, edit that and let's call it a night without another fight, ok?

It was just a light-hearted joke..but I understand it can be difficult to read sarcasm online.

[CuatrodeMayo]

What's CB2?

Awesome.

[ChrisEddy]

Hey everybody, just joined the site. I have a copy of the official press release from Chesapeake confirming that Whole Foods is coming to OKC. Here it is...

Whole Foods Market® Announces Plans to Build Store in
Oklahoma City near Classen Curve Development and
Chesapeake Energy Campus

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (May 12, 2010) - Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFMI), the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, is coming to northwest Oklahoma City. The site was announced jointly today by officials from Whole Foods Market and Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK).

“After many months of speculation, we are pleased and excited to officially confirm the much anticipated plan to build a Whole Foods Market store in northwest Oklahoma City,” said Aubrey K. McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake. “Whole Foods Market is a leader in the expanding natural and organic foods business. The Whole Foods Market brand has been built on consistently selling the highest quality natural and organic food products and maintaining high standards of quality, customer service and community involvement. The fact that we have attracted one of the most coveted retailers in the country to our community validates the revitalization we have experienced in Oklahoma City the past ten years.”

Whole Foods Market recently signed a lease enabling Chesapeake to move forward with the construction of a 35,000 square-foot store along North Western Avenue between North Classen and N.W. 63rd Street to anchor the next phase of Chesapeake’s development activities around its 50-acre Oklahoma City headquarters.

“The addition of a Whole Foods Market to the Classen, Western, Grand and N.W. 63rd Street district contiguous to our corporate headquarters campus signifies a major step forward in our vision to create the most vibrant and dynamic urban environment for our employees and neighbors to live, work and play in Oklahoma. Without question, Whole Foods Market is the perfect complement to the upscale local retailers and restaurateurs in Classen Curve, south of the site where the new Whole Foods Market will be built,” said McClendon. “We are taking the retail, entertainment and business environment to a new level in Oklahoma City while simultaneously furthering a mission of sustainability and healthy living with the addition of a Whole Foods Market.”

Scheduled to open by year-end 2011, the new Oklahoma City Whole Foods Market will be the largest natural and organic supermarket in the state. In keeping with Whole Foods Market’s recently announced national initiative to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2010, the supermarket in Oklahoma City will be built to strict green building standards. The Oklahoma City store will incorporate an energy efficient design, alternative refrigerants and advanced eco-friendly systems.

“Whole Foods Market has watched Oklahoma City’s transformation these past ten years with great interest. The area around Chesapeake’s distinctive and beautiful campus, combined with Aubrey’s vision to create an eco-friendly, aesthetically beautiful and people-pleasing environment at Classen Curve, caught our attention,” said Walter Robb, chief operating officer and co-president of Whole Foods Market. “We look forward to bringing our innovative, dynamic food shopping experience to Oklahoma City. As people who have followed our growth know, we do not take a cookie-cutter approach to our stores, but instead will design and build this store with products and ingredients sought out by the Oklahoma City community. We appreciate the genuine warmth we have experienced in Oklahoma City and look forward to serving the community.”

Tom Blanton of Blanton Property Company in Oklahoma City represented Chesapeake in the transaction.

# # #





About Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Chesapeake Energy Corporation is one of the largest producers of natural gas and the most active driller of new wells in the U.S. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company's operations are focused on discovering and developing unconventional natural gas and oil fields onshore in the U.S. Chesapeake owns leading positions in the Barnett, Fayetteville, Haynesville, Marcellus and Bossier natural gas shale plays and in the Eagle Ford, Granite Wash and various other unconventional oil plays. The company has also vertically integrated its operations and owns substantial midstream, compression, drilling and oilfield service assets. Further information is available at Chesapeake Energy - America's Champion of Natural Gas.

About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFMI), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company's motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s more than 53,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 13 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2009, the company had sales of $8 billion and currently has more than 280 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

[metro]

do we really need this posted in 3 threads?

[Watson410]

ahhh cut Chris some slack.. He/She is new to the forum. This is VERY exciting news (in all 3 threads) I do kinda wish they would have chose downtown though..

[BigD Misey]

Why do we care about the Container Store?

The Container Store is to women, what Hot Rods and Best Buy is to guys!

[metro]

Man, I just drove by Chesapeake area on NW 63rd, where those condos were that backed up to NHP. The demolition and cleanup has been done and it is a massive site and really opens up the space. I think too much work is being done in the area now for us NOT to hear an announcement or at least see some work starting soon.

[betts]

Aubrey owns more of those condos on 63rd and Grand, but I think some of them have people in them who are not currently willing to leave. I would expect to see the buildings go when he has all of them.

[Spartan]

Man, I just drove by Chesapeake area on NW 63rd, where those condos were that backed up to NHP. The demolition and cleanup has been done and it is a massive site and really opens up the space. I think too much work is being done in the area now for us NOT to hear an announcement or at least see some work starting soon.

I would not be surprised at all to see Chesapeake never once do PR for any of this project.

[jbrown84]

They did for Whole Foods.

[Spartan]

They put up signs after Whole Foods announced it, after Steve had persisted in asking them to confirm over and over..months.

[jbrown84]

They did a press release for the announcement. That's what PR is. It IS NOT confirming rumors before the parties involved are ready.