A supermarket…with a spa? Say hello to the new South End Whole Foods

If perusing produce right after getting a mani-pedi sounds like a great Saturday of errands, you’re in luck: a South End site that was formerly home to The Boston Herald is becoming a Whole Foods, complete with a full day spa.

It will be the first such operation for the 400-store supermarket chain.

The 50,000-square-foot-space in the Ink Block development off Harrison Avenue in the South End, is scheduled to open as a market in January. The Herald moved to D Street in the Seaport District in early 2012.

A branch of Austin’s “milk + honey” spa will offer manicures, waxings, hot shaves and shoe shines, using natural and organic ingredients. Whole Foods was founded in Austin

“It’s all about convenience,” said Heather McCready, a Whole Foods spokeswoman. “We want to provide the best customer convenience and in this day and age people are busy. It’s a great offer for us to be able to make. It resonates with people.”

McCready said the spa will be “an enclosed unit” in the store, located near the beer, wine and “Whole Body” departments. It won’t be near the prepared foods or produce, she said.

Four buildings are now under construction at Ink Block, each with retail space on the ground floor and residences above. Whole Foods did not answer questions about how many workers would be employed at the new location or the cost of the Ink Block project.

The development includes at least 10 restaurants, 315 apartments and 83 condominiums, said Ted Tye, a managing partner at the Newton-based National Development, which is leading the project. The first apartments are to open in January.

Tye declined to name other retailers that would feature in Ink Block. Those announcements, he said, would be made in coming weeks.