Sprouts Supermarket will move in at 209 Flamingo Road at Tam Junction in early 2015, a site occupied by Delano’s grocery store until three years ago.

On their website, Sprouts describes its store as “a neighborhood grocery store with the feel of an old-fashioned farmers market.” Delano’s, which shut down in December of 2010 due to financial troubles, was “one of five Delano’s markets in Marin and San Francisco that shut down at that time,” according to the Mill Valley Patch. The building has remained unoccupied since.

Sprouts has submitted their design plans and expects to receive their building permit in the spring of 2014. Before they claimed the space other stores were also scouting the location.

“Once they get their permit, they will do much of the restoration and building during the summer and fall,” Tamalpais Community Services District general manager Jon Elam said.

Sprouts opened a store in Petaluma around two years ago. According to Elam, they decided to open another location in Tam Valley after their success in Petaluma. Sprouts is based in Arizona but has over 160 locations across the country, according to their website.

Sprouts may even become a new lunch spot for some of the students at Tam.

“Yes, I would go to Sprouts,” sophomore Alex Lytle said. “The deli counter there is pretty good for the price….I think that [Sprouts] will provide a cheaper alternative to Whole Foods, and a higher quality alternative to Safeway.”

Other students may not go to Sprouts for lunch.

“I probably won’t go to the new Sprouts because I can’t drive yet,” freshman Hannah Berg said. “Also, it is too far of a walk.”

Many people are excited to welcome Sprouts into the community.

“I plan to support them with a portion of my food dollar, and I hope the folks in Tam Valley do likewise. We need them to prosper,” Mill Valley resident Clayton Smith said.

Elam is also excited for the store to open. “The store will have a good design, create many good jobs, and improve the community,” he said.