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Hi,
Is it possible to have the old City Hall Bldg when they move? It would be a great spot for community groups and the Coop if it opens up.
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Thanks for the suggestion.
When the new city hall opens, the city intends to convert the old city hall into offices for the municipal court, work release program, and other jail options programs.
As such, it will not be available for use by teh co-op or other community organizations.
TJ Johnson
Expansion Co-Coordinator
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What about the building by the Fountain. It has been for rent for some time and is pretty central to a lot of things. Or the Capitol City Press Building?
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Thanks for the suggestions, and your continued interest in the expansion.
We looked at both of the buildings you suggest, but neither was a good match with the criteria that was developed to assess potential sites.
One big concern with both of these buildings is that they are located in areas that are most likely to be impacted by rising sea levels due to climate change.
If you want additional specific about either site, just let me know.
TJ Johnson
Expansion Co-Coordinator
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What's the latest on the search for a downtown/in-town expansion site? Has the broader economic downturn impacted any expansion goals?
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We are still on track to make a final decision on whether to acquire downtown property for a new store this summer. We recently completed an updated market study, and we will be using this information to make financial projections to assess financial feasibility. We are also in the midst of an organizational readiness assessment to determine whether our current policies and procedures are working well enough to support the expansion. We expect to have this report by mid-June. Please let me know if you need additional information.
TJ Johnson
Expansion Co-Coordinator
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Sorry to be inpatient, but I'm really excited about a downtown food coop. It's mid-July. Any new updates? I was walking around downtown this morning and noticing all the empty store fronts. How about a small store with a deli. You could prep/cook food for the west and eastside stores and sell togo food.
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handscrape-
Thanks for checking in. The expansion team and board have been working hard this summer towards a final decision about the feasibility of a new downtown store. Based on board and member direction, we are still working with the concept of a full service 5,000-10,000 square foot retail store downtown - not a small storefront/deli. Currently our efforts are focused on the financial feasibility of our preferred location and whether organizationally we are ready for a multi-million dollar expansion.
The timeline calls for a final go/no go decision by the board by the end of October. Look for a status update in the next issue of the Co-Op News in early August.
TJ
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