The World-Wide Group has handed over the keys to Whole Foods Market for the build out of their new store within the ground floor of 250 East 57th Street.

The completion of the new, 38,000 s/f Whole Foods Market is part of the historic, $700 million mixed-use project rising at 250 East 57th Street.

The World-Wide Group was selected by the Educational Construction Fund (ECF) to develop the 1.5 acre site, making this one of the largest public-private partnerships in the history of the ECF.

The project will create a 1 million s/f, mixed-use facility, including the Whole Foods Market, two new schools, a 59-story residential tower with 320 new rental and condominium units, and an additional 78,000 s/f of retail.

Construction of phase one of the project includes the Whole Foods Market, and new, state-of-the-art facilities for PS 59 and the high School of Art and Design, all to be complete by Fall of 2012.

The new PS 59, which wil be expanded to accommodate 730 students (up from 400 seats) and the 1,400-student High School of Art and Design will become the he second and third schools built by the World-Wide Group during this project.

A 470-seat school at 250 East 63rd Street, the first school in NYC to be built to School Construction Authority’s “green” standards, was built to house the students of PS 59 while the new PS 59 is under construction on 56th Street.

Phase two of the project includes the design and construction of the additional 78,000 s/f of retail space and approximately 350 residential units.