Hy-Vee Makes Wisconsin Debut With LEED Store

MADISON, Wis. — Hy-Vee is set to open its first Wisconsin store here today, a 92,000-square-foot location housed in a former Kmart. It is also the first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) supermarket in the 226-store chain.

“We hope that it can become the model for our future growth,” Ric Jurgens, president and chief executive officer of West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee, told SN earlier this year.

The store will include dedicated parking for fuel-efficient vehicles and other “green” elements, such as skylights and energy-saving refrigeration systems. It also will include a Caribou Coffee cafe and a room for meetings and cooking classes, according to local reports.

“We are very excited to be opening there,” Jurgens told SN. “We have done very well in college towns and in capital cities, and Madison qualifies as both."

A second Madison location is also planned, although it is not expected to break ground until next year.

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