(Crystal Proenza is associate editor of Real Estate Florida.)

MIAMI-Plans for Downtown's first major grocery store located at MDM Development Group and MetLife's Metropolitan Miami mixed-use project have been canceled. Whole Foods has pulled out of its commitment to open a 45,000-square-foot store at the site on SE Second Avenue, according to a report by the South Florida Business Journal.

"Over the past two years, the scope of the downtown Miami project has changed from its initial design," Whole Foods' Florida region told GlobeSt.com in a statement. "After a thorough review, Whole Foods Market has determined that this project no longer fits with our current business model for new store development."

MDM Development sent GlobeSt.com a statement that they "respect Whole Foods' decision, and will look to continue an open dialogue with the organization with the goal of a possible relationship in the future." The organization also stated that they plan to stick to their original goal of having an agreement in place with a food market when that component of the project breaks ground at the end of 2009.