Now that Sugar Beet Co-op has reached its fundraising goal, its founder says the community can look forward to a spring opening, with construction likely to take eight to 10 weeks.
Cheryl Muñoz, Sugar Beet founder and project lead, said the co-op finished raising $1.8 million in February from a combination of member-owners, traditional loans and a village grant. Construction on the store is set to start this Friday, Feb. 20.
Fundraising began in earnest about a year ago, after the co-op signed a lease for the 6,300 square-foot space at 812 W. Madison St. in Oak Park, where the co-op plans to open a community-based, member-owned, full-service grocery store.
At that point, the co-op — established more than three years ago — had about 250 members; that number has now reached almost 1,000. Having secured a space in a highly visible area helped people see and understand what they were signing up for, Muñoz said.
“So now that we have all the money lined up, we can start construction,” she said.
Once permits are approved, the build-out is expected to take eight to 10 weeks, since it’s not complicated. It’s a new structure with HVAC and electrical systems already in place, Muñoz said.
But she acknowledged that construction can take time and they hope for a spring opening.
“If anyone’s even remodeled a bathroom, they know how hard this is,” Muñoz said with a laugh.
It takes most co-ops four to five years to get started, Muñoz said, so Sugar Beet leaders are excited by the progress that’s been made.
“We’ve been working double-time to get this finished,” she said.
On Feb. 2, the Oak Park Village Board approved Sugar Beet get up to $500,000 from the Madison Street Tax Increment Financing District. It allows Sugar Beet a $250,000 grant from the village, with the co-op paying $50,000 of that back, Muñoz said.
Traditional loans totaling more than $600,000 came from Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund and Chicago Community Loan Fund.
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Co-ops are funded differently, which can sometimes be difficult, Muñoz pointed out.
“But that’s also what makes the business model more sustainable, that many people are invested,” she added.
Muñoz said she’s excited about the variety of products the co-op will carry, offering food, health and beauty and household items from area farms and local vendors. She’s grateful for the encouragement from the community and the investments people have made.
“It’s pretty amazing the leap of faith people will take to support something they believe in,” she said.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.