The south Evanston Whole Foods is set to close in March, according to city officials.

Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) announced the closure of the store, located at 1111 Chicago Ave., in an email update to constituents. The store will close after the company’s 20-year lease on the property expires. The building has “structural challenges,” and Whole Foods did studies that assessed the costs associated with upgrading the store or building a new one, Wynne said in the email. The costs for both were “prohibitive,” she said.

Additional factors in the decision included unresolved concerns about contamination on the property resulting from the auto dealership that used to occupy the property, Wynne said. The potential for investigation into and remedy of any possible contamination would bring an unknown cost.

There are two other Whole Foods in Evanston — one at 1640 Chicago Ave. and another at 2748 Green Bay Road. Wynne said in the email that the presence of the two other stores factored into Whole Foods’ decision, but the location of Trader Joe’s at 1211 Chicago Ave. — two blocks from the south Evanston Whole Foods — did not.

Wynne said she is hoping to work with the property owners to find a future use for the space.

“I am committed to working with the property owners to find the best next use for the site that is compatible with the neighborhood,” she said in the email.

Items in the store will be 50 percent off starting Mar. 18, Wynne said, and the store will close when all the items are sold, but no later than Mar. 19.

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