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Co-op'ers focus on
plans for new store
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by Deborah Trupin
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On June 14, about 40 Honest
Weight members met with the architects and construction managers who
are designing the new store. The meeting was an opportunity to hear
about progress and ask questions about the plans. At the beginning of
the forum, members were invited to submit a list of their "Top Five
Concerns" for the new store-- and were encouraged to list anything from
design ideas to pet peeves. In the second part of the forum, these
ideas were projected and the architects responded to them. They said
that they would review the assembled list of priorities and consider
them as they continue to plan the new building.
After HWFC Board president Lynne Lekakis introduced members of Envision
Architects and Sano-Rubin, architect Sandra Baptie presented Envision's
first ideas for the new building. She emphasized that they were
beginning the design process and that this meeting was just one part of
the process. Envision staff had been and would be spending time at the
Co-op, talking with and "shadowing" staff and member-workers to learn
how the store now operates, and what improvements could be made.
Among the ideas Sandra presented were: siting the building at the
northeast corner of the lot (i.e., on the street corner of the
property), to take advantage of a southern exposure; working to make
the building as energy efficient as possible; and making the approach
and landscape as friendly as possible. Dave Hollinger, vice president
of Sano- Rubin and Ken Rizzo, Sano-Rubin's project manager for HWFC,
explained that their firm's role in the design-build process is to
"provide balance." The architectural team gathers the ideas and
develops the program, budget and design, while Sano-Rubin figures out
how to make it work by weighing all the ideas against the budget. They
will shepherd the project through design, permitting and construction.
As a Co-op member, I found the presentations very encouraging. I was
pleased that these firms were selected, in part because of their Co-op
related experience. Sandra said she had been a shareholder at HWFC for
many years, although she had not been a working member. Another
Envision staff member, Mike Naylor, is a member-worker. Board member
Ned Depew said that one reason for choosing Sano-Rubin was their
earlier work on a new store for Hawthorne Valley, for which they
received excellent reviews. While not a co-op, Hawthorne Valley shares
many values with Honest Weight.
Among the questions the one most HWFC shareholders and members may be
asking: What is the schedule for the new building and when will we vote
on the design?
Sandra responded that Envision's goal is to break ground this fall for
an opening next summer. Lynne said there should be a membership meeting
later this summer to vote on both the design and budget for the
project. So, members and shareholders... Watch your email boxes for
announcements, and be sure you are "worked up" so you can vote at this
important meeting.
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