From the Board of Directors: Expansion Update
After the Board concluded that expansion on-site was not feasible in December of 2023, Directors immediately resumed exploring expansion opportunities outside of our existing location. A larger store will allow us to better serve our owners and community, and it is still our vision for the future. The premises that led us to pursue expansion are still relevant: our small size limits sales; the confined parking lot makes access difficult; and backroom storage and receiving areas are no longer adequate for the sales and volume growth we’ve achieved since 2011.
In 2024, the Board identified a lot not far from our current location, and we are currently investigating purchase options for the lot, as well as assessing the financial feasibility of constructing a new store. Thanks to an application submitted by the General Manager, MFC has been awarded a $50,000 planning grant through America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative. The funds will be used for site assessment and planning, creating a preliminary building design, and a financial feasibility analysis.
Just like the previous on-site proposal in 2023, these are first steps. The Board will continue to fully assess the possibility of this particular expansion opportunity. Negotiations, Board approval, the owners support, and a successful fundraising campaign would all have to be completed before a project could move forward. Any feasible expansion opportunities will be presented to MFC owners for input and consideration.
We are incredibly grateful for strong community support in 2024. We also want to emphasize that we'll need your continued support in our current location, as well as your investments in a future fundraising campaign to make any expansion project possible. Keep shopping at the Co-op, keep buying local, and we'll keep investing your dollars back into our local food system to grow our cooperative, better serve our owners, and make progress toward our vision to cooperatively nurture a healthy community.