United Natural Foods leases space

Connecticut-based wholesale distributor United Natural Foods Inc has leased 400,000 square feet at Meridian Distribution Center in Sarasota County FL. The new food distribution center to be opened will employ about 250 workers.

United Natural Foods is a wholesale distributor to the natural and organic foods industry. Meridian Distribution Center is owned by Clearwater FL-based Meridian Development Group. United Natural Foods selected the space based on an analysis demonstrating the property's viability as a distribution location.

Meridian acquired the property in January 2006 in a $30-million joint venture with Hudson Realty Capital LLC. The 907,000-sq-ft facility was a former Winn-Dixie distribution center. More than $2.5 million was spent to convert the facility from a single-tenant to a multi-tenant property.