>>> LAST SPRING, WHOLE FOODS SHOCKED AND ANGERED MANY INCLUDE RESIDENCE WHEN IT ANNOUNCED IT WOULD CLOSE ITS LOCATION AT 63rd AND HOMESTEAD.

MANY RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WERE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING.

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THE STORE REPLACED BY THE DISTANT GROCER, SAVE A LOT.

DESPITE SIGNIFICANT PUSHBACK, THAT IS THE CURRENT PLAN.

AS PART OF OUR CHICAGO TONIGHT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES, NICK HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THAT ORIGINAL DEAL THAT GOT WHOLE FOODS INTO THE SPACE.

IN INGLEWOOD WITH HER PRODUCER.

NICK.

>> Reporter: WHEN THE SAVE A LOT SIGNS WENT UP ON THE FORMER WHOLE FOODS IN INGLEWOOD SQUARE EARLIER THIS YEAR, A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY.

BUT A COPY OF THE LEASE BETWEEN WHOLE FOODS AND THE REALTY COMPANY THAT OWNS INGLEWOOD SQUARE OBTAINED BY WTTW NEWS SHOWS THAT SAVE A LOT WAS ONE BACK UP PLAN ALL ALONG.

>> Reporter: SAVE A LOT IS WRONG FOR INGLEWOOD.

THAT'S THE MESSAGE THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN SPREADING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.

>> THEY HAVE A HORRIBLE BRAND AND MOST SAVE A LOTS ARE IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.

FROM THE PRODUCTS THEY HAVE ON THE SHELVES.

FROM THE LOW-QUALITY FRUIT.

>> Reporter: DESPITE THE OUTCRY, SAVE A LOT WAS TO SUBLEASE THE SPACE FROM WHOLE FOODS.

>> OUR MEMBERS WERE UP IN ARMS ABOUT IT.

>> Reporter: WTTW NEWS OBTAINED THE ORIGINAL LEASE BETWEEN WHOLE FOODS AND REALTY COMPANY DL THREE WHICH OWNS THE SPACE.

THE DOCUMENT OUTLINES WHAT HAPPENS IF WHOLE FOODS WANTS TO LEAVE AND GIVES RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL TO A NOW CLOSED GROCERY BUSINESS THAT WAS ALSO MANAGED BY THE HEAD OF DL THREE, LEON WALKER.

CITY RECORDS SHOW THAT WALKER'S BUSINESS WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN DISSOLVED WAS ONCE LICENSED TO OPERATE A SAVE A LOTS.

>> WOW.

THAT IS WHAT WE THOUGHT AND HE WANTED TO SEE THAT IN WRITING.

WE HAD BEEN TOLD SEVERAL TIMES THAT THAT WASN'T THE CASE.

SO THAT'S NOT SURPRISING , BUT IT IS DISTURBING.

>> Reporter: IN A PHONE INTERVIEW, DL THREES WALKER DECLINED TO GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THE LEASE BUT SAID DL THREE AND YELLOW BANANA HAVE NO BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP AND THAT THE DECISION TO BRING IN YELLOW BANANA RESTED ENTIRELY WITH WHOLE FOODS.

SPEAKING GENERALLY ABOUT THE LEASE WITH WHOLE FOODS, WALKER SAID OUR PRIMARY CONCERN WAS THEY DIDN'T CHANGE THE USE FROM GROCERY TO ANOTHER KIND OF STORE.

QUOTE, WHOLE FOODS HAD AN AGGRESSIVE EFFORT TO CANVASS THE MARKET AND TALK TO A LOT OF OTHER RETAILERS.

BUT IT'S A SMALL FORMAT STORE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THE POPULATION HAS GENERALLY DECLINED AND IN AN OVERALL GROCERY ENVIRONMENT, IS UNDER TREMENDOUS PRESSURE .

>> THIS INFORMATION WAS NEVER TOLD TO OUR COMMUNITY .

>> Reporter: 16 FORT ALDERMAN STEPHANIE COLEMAN SAYS SHE'S UPSET AT THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND SO FAR HASN'T HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH YELLOW BANANA, THE NEW COMPANY COMING IN TO OPERATE THE SAVE A LOT IN INGLEWOOD.

THAT FIRM HAS ALSO GOTTEN MILLIONS IN CITY GRANT MONEY TO REHAB AND REOPEN SEVERAL OTHER SAVE ALLOTS AND TO BUILD A NEW ONE.

>> GOD BLESS THE PRE-EXISTING GROCERY STORES .

THEY SHOULD HAVE THAT INVESTMENT, BUT WE DON'T TRUST THIS YELLOW BANANA BRAND.

THEY HAVE YET TO SHOW US WHAT THEY CAN DO BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A MODEL.

INGLEWOOD IS NOT A GUINEA PIG.

WE ARE NOT AN EXPERIMENT.

>> Reporter: COLEMAN SAYS TO GO BACK THROUGH DESERT, PLACES LIKE ENGLEWOOD NEED CITY INVESTMENT IN PLACES LIKE THE GO GREEN MARKET AT 63rd AND RACING.

>> IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE.

IT'S A DRIVER THAT HAS OUTCOMES AND IT'S ABOUT BUILDING RESILIENCE .

>> Reporter: THE MARKET IS A PARTNERSHIP AMONG THE INNER CITY NETWORK, E.G.

WOOD, RAGE AND TEAMWORK INGLEWOOD , AS PART OF THE LARGER GO GREEN ON RACING EFFORT WHICH IS WORKING TO REPURPOSE THE SHUTTERED SCHOOL AND REOPEN THE RACING STOP ON THE GREEN LINE.

>> IT'S REALLY ABOUT PUTTING IN CONCENTRATED INVESTMENT IN A SMALL GEOGRAPHY AND BRINGING ABOUT ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION TO THE CITY INSPECTION AND SEEING ITS RIPPLE EFFECTS ACROSS THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> Reporter: THE COMMUNITY FRESH MARKET WHERE YOU'RE STANDING RIGHT NOW IS CELEBRATING ITS ONE YEAR