EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Downtown Eugene customers will not be able to shop at Whole Foods Market until fall 2016 as the retail chain is delaying the opening of its store following excavation work for possible historic artifacts.
The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office issued an excavation permit for the grocer’s site Sept. 28. The permit authorizes surveying and other work for removal of historic materials.
Whole Foods and its contractor had previously predicted the Eugene store would open in March, The Register-Guard reports (https://bit.ly/1kJCQMO).
“Whole Foods Market has a revised timeline for the Eugene store. We will have our grand opening in the fall of 2016. We’re grateful for the community’s patience as we build a great store that Eugene deserves,” the company said Monday in a brief statement
Construction on the Whole Foods was delayed this summer amid excavation work for possible historic artifacts. State archaeologist Dennis Griffin said the property owner has chosen to preserve the site without excavating the possible artifacts.
Officials said Monday that no artifacts have been uncovered at the site other than an old brick .
Griffin said the brick may have been part of the Eugene Foundry & Machine Co. building that sat on part of the property in the 1880s.
“It sounds like the developer got cold feet at the potential cost (of excavating), which is understandable,” Griffin said. “It’s sad we don’t know (the brick’s) source” for certain.
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Information from: The Register-Guard, https://www.registerguard.com
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