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Welcome to the PFC expansion page! Come back often to learn of the latest news about our project to move People’s and, with it, the center of good food in our community to a new home. We will update this regularly, much like a blog, to keep you informed of progress and ways that you can help. If you have questions, please contact Chris Dilley.
Expansion Blog Entries:
July 19, 2010
Finances and Green Building Updates
We continue to make great progress on our relocation and expansion project. The latest news - we have received commitments for all of the base project financing! This means that in addition to the $600,000 coming from the Co-op, we have commitments for the other $1M in loans needed to design, build and outfit our building, and move our store! Lenders committing to the project include First National Bank of Michigan (Kalamazoo's only 100% local assets bank), the City of Kalamazoo, Local Initiative Support Corporation, and Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund. Congratulations everyone! We are making great progress!
We are still finalizing the design of the building. In addition to needing more information about the site (geo-technical, environmental, and utility), we also need to make choices about specific systems affecting the overall sustainability of the building. We will be building a very efficient structure -- tight and well-insulated. Additionally, we are choosing very efficient refrigeration equipment. The next systems to investigate for our green building (in order of impact) include heating/cooling, lighting, and storm water management.
To manage these items more efficiently, we will need to close a financing gap. We have determined that an additional $80,000 would allow us to bolster these systems and further "green" the building. To fill this gap, we are planning a short but robust second owner loan campaign in early August. If you would like to have your name on the list to contact about this, please email me at chris@peoplesfoodco-op.org. Thanks!
Assuming that all of the design work as well as the closing of all loans happen on schedule, we are on track to break ground in late August or early September. That keeps us on track to open in our new home in March or April of next year. Please stay tuned for more info!
June 26, 2010
Review the Latest Plans with Green Options
The green building and construction committees have been working with me to design a new building to house our glorious Co-op. On June 17, we received a complete draft of plans and a proposed budget. The good news is that the budget has not increased substantially, even with the addition of important structural and insular improvements. At the same time, the builder has also included budget amounts for additional green building options. In this entry, we describe what we have put together (in limited detail), give you access to the design plans, and explain some possible green options
You can download the latest plans here. They have been reviewed by four experienced builders who are owners or other PFC supporters, each keeping an eye on longevity and sustainability (as described in the entry below about our green building goals).
Here is a bullet list of some of the currently proposed design aspects:
- Structure: The building is a pre-engineered, pole-style structure. This style of building is lower cost, uses renewable resources, and creates less overall waste. The pole construction will be very strong, with all wood sitting above ground on footers. The Texas Township Pavilion (home to their Farmers' Market) was built using this exact structural system.
- Insulation: The wall design includes 4 inches of spray foam insulation which provides both great insulation and a tight air seal. The roof is insulated with 6 inches of foam (for an R value of 42). With the current design, the floor slab is not insulated, but we anticipating adding this on as it will complete the "tight, well-insulated envelope" we are looking to create and will help maximize heating and cooling efficiencies.
- Materials: All wood used in the building will be Forestry Stewardship Council certified, thus ensuring responsible growing and harvesting of this primary building material. Our exterior siding will primarily consist of recycled corrugated metal and cement board. We will finish our concrete slab for flooring in most parts of the building.
- Sustainable components: In addition to building the tightest, most efficient structure we can, we also hope to do the following:
-Use passive solar design for light and heat gain in the winter.
-Use as many renewable, recycled, and responsible materials as possible (see above), and all materials will be low or no VOC (volatile organic compound) content.
-Choose refrigeration equipment that is energy efficient and within our budget, and that is completely free of ozone depleting CFC's.
-Create a roof with a white cover and ensure the concrete portions of our site (sidewalks, loading areas, etc.) are "extra white" to reduce the heat island effect.
The cost of the building described above is estimated at about $875,000. This is the amount we've assumed as we've raised money from you, and from commercial lenders. This is good news!
Could we make a building that better represents our values by increasing efficiency? You betcha! But it will cost us. So, here is a menu of possible green options and their costs:
Here is a short description of each of these items:
- 1" foam insulation: Though better than steel, wood is not a great insulator. Wood that spans the inside and the outside of the building creates vulnerable spots for heat transfer. The foam insulation would sheath the entire building and help reduce this energy loss.
- Natural lighting: Who doesn't love natural light on their bananas and baked goods? Too bad traditional skylights are so energy inefficient! Well, Solatubes are a product that we've identified that will bring natural light in without sacrificing nearly as much heat. We could add any number, but we've identified places where 16 could be used for the price tag we've listed above.
- Storm water management: Between the parking area and building, our site will have lots of impermeable space. We are considering a few options to handle the storm water run-off from these surfaces, including:
1) a cistern to capture the clean water from the roof for reuse on landscaping during drier times; and
2) a rain garden to slow and clean overflow from the cistern and run-off from part of the parking lot.
- Energy efficient heating: We are researching ways to limit our consumption of carbon-based fuels for heating water and our store. One item we've investigated is a solar water heater, with possible addition of radiant floor heat. This option would include insulating beneath the slab, installing a boiler and piping, and setting up the solar hot water system with roof panels.
Would you be willing to lend the Co-op (additional) money to make this vision happen? If so, please contact me, Chris Dilley, as soon as possible and I'll be excited to discuss the possibilities with you. It is a responsible investment in your local community with important ramifications for generations to come! Please consider it. Thanks!
June 1, 2010
Design Development and Green Building
Big news on our expansion project front - we are closing in on the end of the Design Development phase. We have integrated the store plan, the visual look that we've created with the architect, and our priorities to forge a detailed set of plans. All through this process, sustainability has been a priority (thanks for reaffirming this with your survey answers!).
With the help of our Green Building Committee (thanks to Thom, Helen and Harold!), we created a set of green building goals to direct our building partners at Miller-Davis and Eckert/Wordell as they design and build the new co-op. The goals utilize the base checklist created by the US Green Building Council (developers of LEED) and articulate a standard for each point. We've been lucky to have the input of the Board and our committee members. Now it is your turn! Please follow the link to our Green Building Goals and let us know what you think!
Once these plans are done, we will post them on our web site and host several Showcases during the last week of June. Please join myself and the board, as we review these plans at the showcases. We want to ensure that we are all on the same page. Thanks again for your input through this entire process!
May 24, 2010
Building Plans and Expansion Straw Poll
First of all, thank you so much to the 47 people who took the time to fill out our Expansion Straw Poll over the past week. Your input is very helpful and supports my current thinking about the project. Here are the results so far:
- 95% of you "somewhat" or "very much" like the design of the building as our architects have drawn it.
- 76% of you are "happy" or "very happy" with 507 Harrison as the site for the home of the new PFC, with only 9% being "unhappy" or "very unhappy".
- The list of building priorities rated from highest to lowest are: Energy efficiency, Built to last, Ability to integrate solar or other systems later, Inclusion of the Can-Do Kitchen, and Funky / cool design. (Please note: several people commented that it was difficult to rate these factors).
- 25% of you have at least some interest in lending or lending more if the extra loans are dedicated to green building
If you have not yet taken the poll, but would like to, please do so here.
We are closing in on a design that meets the above goals, with our greatest focus on efficiency and durability. We'd like to build a very tight, well-insulated structure, making the most of any heating/cooling or other energy efficiencies now and in the future. The design drafts should be done within the next two weeks, then we can start to estimate costs. Once we have these estimates, I would like to host a couple of showcases to share the results with you all.
Thanks so much for being part of this interesting and exciting transition! Whether you are owning, shopping, lending, or critiquing, your help is much appreciated. Together we are making Kalamazoo a better place to be.
Lastly, here are a few recent clippings from the Kalamazoo Gazette about People's:
 April 30, 2010
Owner Loan Campaign Update
As shown in our Aspara-graph to the left, we were able to raise $420,750 in owner loans (in only 53 days) to support our exciting expansion and relocation project! That is a huge success! Thank you to each and every one of you that spent time considering, calling, and/or committing your support to this project. Although the campaign has ended, you can still help out and make an owner loan. Please download our loan brochure or email Chris Dilley for full loan program details.
March 4, 2010
Answers to Some Common Questions
What a whirlwind couple of weeks! Our staff and I have been inundated with lots of congratulations and questions since we announced our intention to work with the City to clean up the property at 507 Harrison Street and build a 6,000 square foot building on it. As we've listened to these comments, two primary concerns have stood out: the fact that we are building new rather than using an existing building, and a concern that the area we are moving to is not walkable.
Why aren't we re-using an existing building?
The short answer is because we couldn't find one. It was my desire and that of the board, expansion committee and management team to find an existing building. After thirty months of searching with the help of a commercial property broker, however, we simply could not find one that met our two primary criteria: square footage and number of parking spaces. We walked through over forty existing buildings throughout the downtown Kalamazoo area, exploring about fifteen of those properties in detail, and spending time, money and resources on four. We ultimately ruled out all of these properties.
The property at 507 Harrison Street topped our list -- in terms of what it offered the Co-op -- for over a year and a half before we began to consider it more seriously. The site really offers us an opportunity to have the Co-op that we want, and one that will suit our needs in terms of space and parking, as well as visibility and growth potential.
Why move to 507 Harrison if it is not walkable?
Walkability was one of the factors that we had on our site assessment matrix. It was rated lower than size, parking, and visibility, but it was on our list. Sadly, it is the factor most compromised by choosing this site. Our current site at 436 S. Burdick is excellent in that it is right on the edge of the Vine Neighborhood and downtown, easily accessed by many that live and work close by. We will miss that connection for sure!
The positive thing about the site at 507 Harrison is that it is along the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, a bike and walking path that connects the Kal-Haven to Parchment, Battle Creek, and Portage. We are excited about this connection, and look forward to helping to better connect this area of downtown to the core.
I live in the Edison Neighborhood, and currently ride or walk to work most days. This will not change for me! And I hope that those of you who love to walk or ride join me in making the new home of PFC a walker/biker haven.
PDFs of the Site Plan, Etc.
Several people have asked to see the drawings that we've included below in more detail. You can download a PDF of the floor plan, site plan and four elevations by clicking on this link.
More Media Coverage of People's Project...
Lastly, here are some more clippings from the local news about People's:
February 22, 2010
Press Coverage of Our Plans
February 16, 2010
People's to Build Ourselves a New Home: 507 Harrison
Please note that all plans and drawings on this page are still in progress, and may change. –Chris Dilley, general manager
The new address: 507 Harrison Street
View Larger Map
Currently, this location is a vacant lot with MacKenzie's bakery to the north and One Way Products to the west. This Brownfield site had been contaminated by the paper industry and has been mostly cleaned up by the City. The City owns the site, and People's is currently working with the City to finalize a redevelopment agreement that will involve People's building a new home on the site.
The location sits on the northeast edge of downtown and puts us in community with other excellent food-related businesses like MacKenzie's, Bell's, Water Street Coffee Joint, and Food Dance. Highly visible from Gull Road as it turns into Ransom, this route along Harrison is well-travelled as a throughway connecting downtown with the Northside Neighborhood, the Eastside Neighborhood, Parchment, Richland, and beyond.
The site plan:
We are currently planning to build a building roughly 6,000 square feet. The site will allow us to have 32 parking spots, and a large grassy arbor area that will serve well as a possible site for the 100-Mile Market and outdoor seating for the deli in good weather. The southern edge of the site is currently Willard Street, which will be converted into part of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, a bike and walking path that connects Parchment to the KalHaven Trail.
The building:
The building that we are currently planning will be free-standing new construction. The overall size of roughly 6,000 square feet will allow the Co-op to quadruple our current retail space and more than double our overall space. The building will also provide enough space to host a renter: Can-Do Kitchen, a project of Fair Food Matters. This partnership is very exciting for us as it will bring more visibility to the Can-Do Kitchen as it gives food entrepreneurs access to a licensed kitchen, and it will allow People's, as a user of the program, to have a larger kitchen than we could afford on our own. It will also mean an on-site home for our cooking classes!
The store:
With quadruple the retail area, People's will be able to offer more selection with a lot less hassle for you, the shopper. You'll have room to browse the aisles, read labels, talk to your friends, and sample great products. Our current layout design offers the following changes:
- Expanded prepared foods offerings with several tables and chairs.
- A fresh meat department.
- Lots more room for produce with a continued focus on local fruits and vegetables.
- A full aisle of wellness items.
- Expanded bulk foods, grocery, refrigerated and frozen sections.
- And an enhanced local foods program throughout the store, including products produced in the Can-Do Kitchen.
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