In the Last Two Months
Greetings!
Since our last message to you, our work to expand into the former Wilson’s building remains on hold as we wait for the space to become available. We continue to support Mass Development as they work to find a solution that is beneficial to all.
We were heartened that our state legislative delegation met with Mass Development on Nov. 19 to express their support and explore ways forward.
In late October, Franklin Community Co-op staff led a tour of the space for farmers; financial institutions; and community, federal, and state leaders — the feedback was very positive, including regarding potential sources of funding. For example the USDA representative spoke about the impact the project could have on the community as a whole. Erik Debbink of Lombrico Farm spoke about how the Co-op’s expansion would make his farm’s expansion possible. (See more about this below.)
In addition, the Board has been engaged in a number of initiatives to prepare for expansion, including participating in webinars and conferences related to successful food cooperatives in today’s economy and initiating a project to articulate our shared FCC values as a guide for future actions. You can learn more about how to contribute to this work by participating in upcoming member-owner forums (Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m., virtual; Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. virtual; and Saturday, Jan 18 at 10 a.m. in person at our Community Room at 170 Main St.) and the Annual Meeting (March 2, 2025). We look forward to discussing additional ideas with you over the months ahead.
See more details below, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the planned expansion here.
Why Expand? Benefits to Our Member-Owners and Broader Community
Despite the complexities and occasional frustrations of this project, the potential benefits to the community continue to be incredibly compelling and worth striving for. After the expansion, we expect to:
- Welcome All – With the additional space, we hope to offer a variety of goods selected to appeal to all in our community – a greater selection of international items, high-quality meats and cheeses, wine and beer, and items from a broader range of price points, including some that are less expensive than the brands we carry in the current store. The storage space in the basement of the building will allow us to buy in greater quantities, reducing costs and allowing us to lower prices on some goods.
- Meet and Mingle – The expanded, fully accessible area for eating and socializing will provide a welcoming and much-needed space along Main Street for getting together. Individuals will be able to share a coffee or bite from our hot bar, as they meet friends in a congenial space with the ambiance of a separate café.
- Provide Safe and Efficient Workspace for Our Employees – Back-of-the-house workspace will increase eight-fold, from approximately 1,000 sq. ft. to 8,000, allowing for a more efficient, safer work environment. We will also be using a portion of the second floor for individual staff offices, a breakroom, and staff meeting room.
- Support Other Community Organizations – The new Community Room, a large, ADA-accessible space roughly three times the size of our current community space at 170 Main St. — located a few steps away from Green Fields Market — will be available to organizations in the local community for their meetings. In this way, we’ll be giving back and supporting the community more broadly. The teaching kitchen will enable the Co-op and the community to increase education about food systems and how to use ingredients, as well as share the fun of food. The room also has its own bathrooms as well as easy access to the store kitchen for catering purposes.
- Build and Celebrate Our Local Food System – The western Massachusetts region of the Connecticut River Valley is the epicenter of a vibrant community of local food producers – farmers, growers, and processors. Although the size of our current facility limits our capacity for providing Valley food products, the opportunities in a larger store are exciting. Over 30% of our current sales are local: nearly 3,000 products from 230 producers. The expansion will allow us to increase our range, working alongside a vibrant and growing number of support networks for local food growers and producers.
Moreover, the unique attributes of the Wilson’s facility will allow us to support local producers beyond only offering market access. Over time we will develop a portion of the basement to provide storage which will be available to small growers as an emergency shelter for goods should crops need to be harvested quickly due to weather conditions, providing greater climate resilience. This resource will build confidence and encourage growth in the local farming community. - Strengthen Downtown Greenfield – The designs for the building create an exciting balance between restoring the interior and exterior historic features and modernizing the space. We will be revitalizing an empty building on Main Street, with an attractive, inviting facility. In addition, we, along with our partner The Community Builders, will eliminate “the pit,” long a hazard in the area near the Wilson’s building, as they build new housing units.
Even more important than the cosmetic and safety benefits, we hope the store will contribute to the rebirth of an economically robust and bustling downtown. Development specialists believe that one successful large anchor store can be the key to encouraging other investments in a town. We are committed to providing that spark, opening our full-service grocery to spur the economy of Greenfield and enable other businesses to flourish.
Franklin Community Cooperative is a unique entity. We are not about maximizing profits (we never would have taken on the expense associated with renovating the Wilson’s Building if we were!). Instead, we are focused on living out a shared set of values within our community, while creating a more fiscally sustainable operation for our co-op for the long term. As you can tell, the delays haven’t got us down! We remain excited about the benefits of this expansion for members and for the broader local community.
Frequently Asked Questions with more detailed information and expansion updates are all available here.
The Board of Directors has formed an Expansion Communications Working Group for the express purpose of communicating regularly with members and subsequently with the broader community regarding progress toward the Co-op’s planned expansion.
To ask questions or suggest topics for future communications, please send an email to ECWG@franklincommunity.coop.
Working Group members are Margaret Cooley (Board president), Jeanne Douillard (member-owner), Tammy Erickson (Board member), Judith Roberts (communication consultant to FCC), Caitlin von Schmidt (FCC outreach and communications manager), and John Williams (general manager).