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People's Food Co-op Seeks New Home

People's Food Co-op Seeks New Home image
Parent Issue
Day
31
Month
May
Year
1974
OCR Text

The People's Food Co-op, at 722 Packard, is a good place to get your food. Cheese, nuts, raisins, peanut butter, and freshly baked bread are just a few of the items available.

What's even more attractive about the co-op is the way it works as a food-distribution center. First, the people that buy the food are encouraged to be the ones that run the store on every level, and that hold control over how it will run, what is will carry, etc. A second distinguishing feature is that the operation of the store is based on the goal of distributing food in the most ecological way possible.

Altogether, the People's Food Co-op is an attempt to provide an alternative to the profit-motivated food stores in town. And more importantly, it is an attempt to demonstrate that each of us are best served by co-operating with our neighbors and the rest of the community, in an undertaking that's in our common interest.

The People's Food Co-op needs a new home.

If you've ever been to the Food Co-op on a Saturday, you've probably notices that the store is uncomfortably crowded--perhaps to the point where it became difficult for you to get within an arms length of the cheese cooler of even feel good about being there. In fact, you may well have had this experience on any weekday afternoon during the past few months.

Certainly this indicated that the Food Co-op has become very useful to many different people in the community. However, it also makes evident the fact that the space presently available is inadequate.

Something you might not know is that the ownership of the building which the co-op rents has fallen into slimy hands. The co-op now rents 722 Packard under a two-year lease which expires October 15. The new owners have offered a new lease which is more costly and more restrictive. A more expensive and restrictive lease, and the fact that there are alternative sites available make staying at 722 Packard impractical.

The present situation has also forced the co-op to reconsider its position as a renter. An investigation of the opportunities in the areas has revealed that monthly payments towards buying a building would be comparable to or less than rental payments for a place of suitable size. The prospects of rising rents, limitations on the use of the building and grounds, and the uncertain future availability of any rented location have prompted a decision to buy a permanent building rather than enter into another rental agreement.

The hurdle, however, is the down payment. At this point, the gold house across the street, 723 Packard, seems to be the best choice. If further investigation doesn't present a better possibility in the next few weeks, the gold house will be bought. In either case, a large down payment, $10-20,000, must be raised.

Anyone with information on a possible building that is commercially zoned, ideas about fund-raising, or money they want to contribute should call 761-8173. Meetings are on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrews Church, at the corner of Ann Street and Division.