By Matt Stanley, General Manager
We heard loud and clear that our community wants more space to shop and more parking. So we want you to be the first to know… it is official! Astoria Co-op Grocery has signed a long term lease which includes construction of a new grocery store at Millpond, located at 23rd Street and Marine Drive in Astoria. The plan is to build a larger version of the current store you love, with more fresh produce, meat, cheese, and deli, more parking (50 spaces), and a dedicated indoor/outdoor eating area. Our new space will include approximately 7,500 square feet of retail space (compared to our current 2,100 sq. ft.).
We aim to welcome lots of new shoppers and owners in this new location so that the Co-op can increase its positive impact on our community. Think: more sales of local products, more money to local farmers, more good jobs, and growing the cooperative economy in our region. Envision more of your friends and neighbors joining the Co-op and benefiting from our increase in selection and services. Go Co-op!
Following a strategic planning process which included an outpouring of support for a new store, the Board and I did some serious due diligence (more than three years of searching) to find a site that would allow us to meet the community’s needs and the logistics needed for a retail grocery site. This wasn’t an easy quest, but our market research confirms that this new location will allow us to offer this increase in selection and services and maintain our financial health long into the future.
This is the former site of the Astoria Plywood Mill (a worker-owned co-op) which closed decades ago and was redeveloped into mixed income housing with a vacant commercial site where we plan to build the store. It is near the Columbia River, Riverwalk, Columbia Memorial Hospital and Astoria Aquatic Center. It is highly visible and easily accessible, with plenty of room for parking.
There will be a long road ahead with land use approvals and financing, and we’re going to need your support. We look forward to keeping our owners and shoppers in the loop as the project progresses and there will be opportunities for you to provide feedback and get involved. Stay tuned for draft drawings of what the new store will look like and the launching of a capital campaign likely in the fall. Please check out our web page for updates on expansion and don’t hesitate to contact me or find me in the store during your next Co-op shop. Together we grow!
Matt’s contact information: [email protected], (503)325-0027
You’re invited to a Co-op Conversation with Matt following our big announcement. Bring your questions and concerns to Shively Hall in Astoria June 8 at 7:00 p.m.