ST. LOUIS—The historic neighborhood of Lafayette Square in St. Louis has a lot going for it. Just west of a downtown that has become more active in recent years, it is also filled with a set of gracious homes that residents have renovated over the years. But developers Chris Goodson and Jeffrey Randol believe its residents also want a place where they can buy fresh and organic foods. And on January 4, they will open Fields Foods, a full-service grocery store at 1500 Lafayette Ave. that will bring in homegrown foods from area farmers that practice sustainable agriculture.

The 37,000-square-foot store will be the latest chapter in the $120 million redevelopment of the former City Hospital site which includes Goodson's development of The Georgian, a condominium community with 105 units; The Palladium, headquarters for Butler's Pantry caterer; The Power Plant, a former power plant transformed into an entertainment and recreation center; Walgreen's, and The St. Louis Food Hub, a distributor and wholesaler of fresh food, also co-founded by Goodson and Randol.

“It's been a challenge for area residents to find fresh food options,” says Goodson. “Now the community will have a wide array of choices and many straight from the farmer's fields directly to our store. It's a very positive partnership because Fields Foods will be supporting both our local farmers and our neighborhoods.”