The 35-year-old Mifflin Street Co-operative, Madison’s smallest grocery co-op, is discussing a potential expansion of fifteen times its current size.
In a community meeting Sunday night, members of the Board of Mifflin discussed the possible expansion. The board gathered feedback and opinions from its members as well as the community.
At the start of the meeting, Jeff Hurpabo, one of the project managers of the downtown Metropolitan Place, said he believes this project would be a success. The project will provide increased convenience, and it will look more attractive with the addition of a courtyard and possible outdoor café, he added.
Hurpabo said he feels the expansion would still let the co-op offer people what they want — high class, organic foods.
The potential development would involve moving the co-op into the Metropolitan Place condominium, which is in its second unfinished development phase, according to a release. This would create a second Metropolitan Place condominium tower with a natural foods grocery store on the first floor.
Committee members on the board had mixed reactions to the proposed project.
“I would love to have a larger Mifflin [co-op],” Ingrid Rothe, a volunteer on the board, said. “It would be much more convenient to have a large grocery store closer to downtown that I could walk to rather than drive.”
A number of citizens at the meeting agreed with the proposal but said the expansion could change the market for customers.
“I would rather not be involved in opening up an organic store for rich people,” volunteer Michael Gonzales said. “If there is a market for this, than Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods should take over.”
This comment triggered a response from Paul Reckner, a member on the Mifflin board.
“It is necessary at a certain point to recognize a changing shift in the neighborhood,” Reckner said.
The Mifflin Street co-op has survived as a business for 35 years and has managed to stay out of serious debt. Some on the board, however, said the $150,000 project could change the long-running business.
Mel Braverman of the co-op development services said a project of this size is a very big leap.
Members in favor of the expansion project will meet Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. to decide whether or not they will move forward with the plans.