A Massachusetts Whole Foods is sinking, the supermarket giant alleges in a civil suit in federal court.
The store in Beverly has been open for less than six years and already has structural and foundation issues, according to Whole Foods' lawsuit. The company says repairs could cost them millions of dollars and require a long closure.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
The popular supermarket is suing landlord CEA Beverly, the general contractor, the site developer and subcontractors for what they call a “negligent design, planning and construction.” The building is built on a landfill and opened in 2019.
In the suit, Whole Foods alleges that staff noticed issues like noticeable floor and ceiling movement in multiple areas of the store in 2022. It says, “several areas of the store also appeared to be noticeably sinking into the ground.”
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
They also allege that they had “to pay to replace storefront glass windows that it bought and installed with acrylic windows to allow for movement and to prevent glass from shattering," adding that they are now also experiencing issues with its doors caused by the supposed shifting of the foundation.
We reached out to CEA Beverly and the other co-defendants but have not heard back. We also reached out to the city of Beverly and their fire department about potential safety concerns with this building, but they have not gotten back to us.
A Whole Foods spokesperson tells us they are unable to comment on pending litigation.
Customers expressed concern. “There are plenty of people in there all the time and you worry about people’s safety. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too much compromised with a slanted floor,” one said.
