Works In Progress - June 2007 - A downtown Co-op for Olympia at last?

The imminent closing of the downtown Olympia Safeway on June 9 may result in the realization of a longtime dream of many Olympians: A downtown Olympia Food Co-op. Staff collective member Grace Cox confirmed that the Co-op is aggressively pursuing the option of moving into the space that will soon be vacated by the departing Safeway grocery.

"At this point, Safeway holds the cards," said Cox, "because they hold the lease for five more years."

She cautioned that there were some unknown factors, as well as financial analysis to be done before the Co-op can proceed with a definite plan. But Cox affirmed a strong commitment to realizing the dream of a downtown Co-op, adding "I've wanted that location for 20 years."

When the Co-op asked its membership to weigh in with ideas for expansion during the election that ended in November 2006, a desire for an additional downtown store was strongly indicated. Their website reports, "It is the goal of the Olympia Food Co-op to open a new store in downtown Olympia. The guidelines for size are 5,000 to 10,000 square feet." The Safeway store is 19,332 square feet, which makes it larger than the guidelines, but Cox remarked that the members voted a preference for co-locating with other businesses and non-profits that support the goals of the Co-op Mission statement.

Updates about the status of negotiations with Safeway are posted on the doors of the existing Co-op stores.

Downtown resident Jenny Jenkins, who doesn't own a car and walks to do her grocery shopping, expressed enthusiasm for the plan.

Jenkins said that Safeway's closure "is a big hassle, because I'm boycotting Bayview and Ralph's [due to their refusal to stock Plan B emergency contraception], and I like to shop where I can walk to from my home. Even if I weren't boycotting, Safeway is cheaper, and that's important."

Other downtown grocery shoppers were similarly dismayed that Safeway's closure will reduce their options. Alissa Greenwald, encountered in downtown Olympia carrying a bag of groceries from Safeway, was surprised to hear the news that Safeway was closing, and acknowledged that having the more expensive Bayview Thriftway as the only downtown grocery store would be difficult for many people. "It's degrading to the working class," Greenwald said.

A rumor that Trader Joe's was considering moving into the space being vacated by Safeway has been circulating, but Alison Mochizuki, a spokesperson for Trader Joe's headquarters in California, stated that "Olympia, Washington is not in our two year plan."

Grace Cox reported that the Co-op will continue to keep members apprised of expansion plans through flyers posted at the Co-ops, and updates on the Co-op website, http://www.olympiafood.coop .