Over the past year and a half, we have made many updates & repairs to the East Store:
Bathrooms
In-store lighting
Cafe seating area
Flooring throughout the store
Exterior ramp & landing area
Parking lot & parking lot lighting
Painted the sign & exterior of the building
Roof repair
We truly appreciate your continued support of the co-op during this time!
Updated 10/30/23
Road Closures by Our East Store
There are no road closures at this time.
Access from 3rd Street will be closed indefinitely starting on Wednesday, June 15th.
A Google Maps & Google Earth image of Bloomingfoods East and access points to our parking lot and store.
We are so sorry for the inconvenience.
Updated 8/17/23
A message from the Board of Directors:
Dear Bloomingfoods Owner-Members & Shoppers,
My name is Isabelle Daellenbach, the current president of the Bloomingfoods Board of Directors. As you all may know, a lot of construction activity continues behind the East side location. I’m reaching out to explain the changes and share the board’s thoughts about it.
First, I want to say thank you all for your patience throughout the great deal of construction! Our wonderful marketing team has been creatively working to keep you all informed as entrances open and close. We this page on our website, East Store Updates, dedicated to these updates. Although these conditions are not ideal, we appreciate you all continuing to show up and support the coop.
So, what is the construction next door and when will it be done? Current at Latimer Square is a housing development due to open in the Fall of 2023. The complex is expected to house 900 beds in 340 units, comprised of student-geared apartments and multi-family residences. Unlike previously thought, Bloomingfoods will remain where it is and has secured a new long-term lease. The developers will alter, but not shrink, our parking lot and will increase greenspace.
Currently, the Board and the GMs are working to better understand who our new neighbors will be, as a large student population will change the demographics of our East store customer base. The Board and the Owner Member Connection Committee plans to work with a Kelley Fellow who will help us research this question. We look forward to connecting our new neighbors with our democratic cooperative model and our quality, local, and healthful products.
On the horizon, five or so years from now, we are thinking about an expansion of the East store. This is important because our current building needs significant upgrades for internal efficiency and to keep up with all the growth of the East side. An expansion also provides an opportunity to consider how Bloomingfoods can best serve the community.
What is Bloomingfoods doing now to prepare for this expansion?
First, our General Managers (GMs) are working hard to build staff readiness, ensuring we have strong leadership to guide staff through these big changes.
Second, GMs are making gradual improvements to the East store’s infrastructure that will last through the renovations. Some vital repairs and upgrades include improving the roof and entrances and adding new portable deli equipment.
The Board is discussing financing and has begun talking with banks to educate ourselves about healthy financial readiness. The Board has also made progress addressing our current member loans.
As we move into the next phases of the expansion project, we look forward to connecting with you, the owner-members, about our community’s visions for the East store. If you are an Owner-Member and would like to join us, all of our monthly board meetings are open to you! You can also find meeting information, agenda, and minutes on our website at www.bloomingfoods.coop/board.
If you have any questions or thoughts, please reach out! You can contact any board member, or email me at isabelle.d@bloomingfoods.coop.
Thank you all for your continued support of the Co-op!
Sincerely,
Isabelle
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Current at Latimer Square is a housing development due to open in the Fall of 2023. The complex is expected to house 900 beds in 340 units, comprised of student-geared apartments and multi-family residences.
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The new residents will be moving in on Thursday, August 17th. The property manager reassured us that they will do everything they can to prevent congestion by Bloomingfoods. There will be time blocks for move-ins so that all the residents are not moving in at the same time. Also, they let us know that they will be reaching out to the mall for permission to use the large parking lot by the old Macy’s for overflow parking.
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Yes. Unlike previously thought, Bloomingfoods will remain where it is and has secured a new long-term lease (45-year lease). The developers will alter, but not shrink, our parking lot and will increase greenspace.
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We acknowledge that the changes with the parking lot have been a challenge to navigate, and we appreciate your patience. Bloomingfoods did not have a say in the planning of the lot, as the design follows exactly the city’s new UDO (Unified Development Ordinance).
We are expected to have a minimum of 92 parking spots in the lot, which is nearly the same as our previous 95 spots. The Current has its own parking garage, so it does not anticipate its resident’s parking in our lot. Their garage will be done soon, and their workers will be instructed to park there.
We have been in contact with Current about parking, and will continue to cooperate to enforce our parking as needed. We have some options planned if the lot is not being used as agreed upon.
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The lot will be striped, which we believe will help with the flow of traffic. Additionally, another layer of asphalt will be applied, which will make the curbs not quite so high.
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We understand that the curbs are currently high, but they will not remain this way. The parking lot will be remilled and then repaved. This will make the asphalt 1.5 inches higher, in effect making the curbs lower. Curb height is not Bloomingfoods’ decision, but is prescribed by the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO); the lot was designed by Trinitas to be in compliance with the UDO.
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Bloomingfoods has management control over the green spaces within our lot. We plan to assess the landscaping when it’s finished and make the suitable changes from there. We are certainly interested in having native species in that space.
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No. We will ensure that no permanent landscaping impedes accessibility, safety, or visibility of traffic.
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This will not greatly impact parking because while a row on the North side of the lot was converted to greenspace, a new, additional row of parking was added on the South side of the lot.
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Sometimes our lot has been used by construction vehicles. We have been in contact with the site managers, who are instructing their crews to park elsewhere. Though the lot can be crowded on Wednesdays during the farmers’ market, we have noticed that spaces have always been available.
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Our new neighbors give us a great opportunity to share the Bloomingfoods values with a new community. Though our client base may be changing, our culture is not.
Updated 9/22/23