Owner Loans

Work on the new Co-op building has slowed a bit over the holidays, but they plan to pour the last ICF wall section on Friday, December 28th. Things are really moving along.

As the project moves forward, we still need help from our Owners in the form of Owner Loans. Our loan campaign has been quite successful. We've raised $450,000 so far but would love to reach our $600,000 Owner Loan goal. The longer loan terms are full, but there is plenty of space in the 6 year and 7 year term lengths. Stop in or give Jennifer or Marietta a call at 218-387-1939 if you have any questions about the loan program or if you're ready to lend money. Thanks.

Owner Loan Rates and Terms

Amount	5 YRS	6 YRS	7 YRS	8 yrs-full	9 yrs-full
$1,000-4,000	2.00%	2.25%	2.50%	3.00%	3.75%
$5,000-9,999	2.50%	2.75%	3.00%	3.50%	4.25%
$10,000 and up	3.00%	3.25%	3.50%	4.00%	5.00%

Taking Shape

The new Co-op is really starting to take shape as the window openings were blocked out and more layers of ICF were installed.

Walls

The new Co-op is taking shape as ICF Walls have been put into place.

The second level of walls are being put into place and contractors plan to pour more concrete on Friday, December 14th. The roof will be going on in no time! We're happy that we are having a mild winter so far.

Footings

Demolition of our old Co-op was complete on Monday, November 26th and the contractors got right to work digging and pouring footings.

 Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) will be put in place next week. ICF is a system of formwork for concrete that stays in place as permanent building insulation for energy-efficient, cast-in-place, reinforced concrete walls, floors, and roofs. The forms are interlocking modular units that are dry-stacked (without mortar) and filled with concrete. The forms lock together somewhat like Lego bricks and serve to create a form for the structural walls or floors of a building. ICF construction is becoming increasingly commonplace for both low rise commercial and residential construction as more stringent energy efficiency and natural disaster resistant building codes are adopted.

Mural

During demolition of the old Co-op, a team of workers was able to save 12-18 pieces of the mural on the side of the Co-op building. John Hilde and his crew, along with Jeff Kern, made cuts around a number of the motifs and as Clint McWaters from Thoresons demolished the building; he helped to recover the pieces that broke free as the wall fell.  The pieces were moved off the site. Most of them are being stored behind The Garage, and a few still need to be moved from the lot across from the building site. The mural committee hopes to come up with a design that will incorporate the saved pieces sometime this spring. 

Demolition

Work has begun on building our new Co-op. Demolition occurred on November 20th and 21st and they should start working on footings after Thanksgiving. In the mean time, we've set up shop at 2066 West highway 61 and are open for business. Stop in and check out our temporary digs.

We're OPEN!

After a week of long hours and sleepless nights, we transformed the old bowling alley into a funky and functional Co-op.  There are still a few bugs to work out, but we passed the health inspection and are open for business at 2066 West Hwy 61 in Grand Marais.  We'll be open from 9 am - 7 pm Monday - Saturday and 10 am - 6 pm on Sundays. This will be our temporary home as we build our new Co-op at our old location on the East Bay of Lake Superior. 

Turkeys were flying out the door yesterday as soon as the doors opened.  It was great to see all of the Thanksgiving shoppers.  I know what I'll be thankful for this year.  I'm thankful for all of the people who made the move possible -- employees, volunteers, electricians, plumbers and refrigeration techs...  It took a lot of people and cooperation to transform the bowling alley/bar in a short period of time, thank you.

Demolition of the old Co-op began today.  Over the weekend folks scavenged a lot from the old building.  It was great that people will be able to recycle and reuse a lot of the old building.  There was also an effort to save parts of the mural, plus we'll have a photo of the mural in a prominent spot in the new store.  I'm looking forward to seeing the progress of the new store throughout the winter. 

I'll try and have photos soon of all that's happening here, but right now we're still getting organized.  In the mean time, stop by and have a look at our new space.

Cooler Woes

The electricians, refrigeration technicians, plumbers, staff and volunteers have been working hard to get everything up and running in our temporary location.  Unfortunately, our refrigeration equipment has seen better days and has been a bit cranky.  Moving and re-hooking up equipment that is on its last leg is tricky business.  There have been issues with bad compressors and burned out parts.  We hope to open Monday, November 19th provided our health inspector gives us the go ahead, but we will not have a full array of coolers and freezers.  That will have to wait until Tuesday when more parts are available. 

On the bright side, we have phone, internet and our POS cash register system is running and ready for action, and there are plenty of turkeys waiting for your Thanksgiving feast.  We also received a delivery on Friday so our shelves are getting stocked up after the huge moving sale. 

Stay tuned for an exact opening time.  I'm guessing around 11:00 on Monday, November 19th but give us a call at 387-2503 or check here for more precise info. 

Moving Week

Wow!  The last four days have been amazing.  We had a mega moving sale on Saturday, November 10th where we doubled any previous day in sales.  Fourth of July is no match for moving a Co-op in stormy November.  Carts were heaping and folks were enthusiastic.  It was wild and crazy but a great way to see the old Co-op off.

On Sunday, we had lots of volunteers to pack and move products and stuff to our temporary location.  On Monday, we continued the pack and move routine plus the cooler and freezer guys arrived bright and early to relocate all of our cooling equipment.  The guys from Gartner Refrigeration have been great, they even moved our safe which would have broken a lot of back if we tried to get it out the door.  Having the right moving equipment makes all the difference in the world.  The County Plumbing and Hunt Electricians have also been hard at work making sure that everything is up to code and working for an excellent shopping experience.

We have almost everything in the "new" temporary space at 2066 West Hwy 61, Grand Marais, MN.  (Gunnar's, Howling Wolf, Bowling Alley/Chinese Restauant --- now Co-op!)  Our phones are hooked up and ringing at the new location.  We're unpacking boxes and getting everything up to code.  We had originally planned to open this Friday, but the Health Inspector cannot make it until Monday, November 19th so we have some extra time to spiff up the place for Thanksgiving Shopping.

We look forward to see you shopping in the new temporary space.  Stop in and pick up your Thanksgiving Turkey on Monday!

SALE & Moving Day

On Saturday, November 10th, the Co-op is having a one day sale before moving to our temporary location. Products will be 5-20% off. Stop in, stock up and save. We will be closed starting Sunday, November 11th for about 5 days. Our exact opening day depends on refrigeration and health inspection.  We will keep you posted.

We're gearing up and getting ready to move! Plans are in place to start packing up on Sunday, November 11th. Volunteer opportunities are available during the week - especially on Sunday and Monday. There is a sign up sheet for volunteers near the front registers or give us a call at 218-387-2503 if you'd like to help - Jill and Andrew are coordinating this effort.

Once everything is moved out, we plan to open the store up for scavengers. Owners will be welcome to come in and carefully take what we're leaving behind.  Sorry, but I won't know the date and time until the last minute. We are not sure how long it will take us to move everything out.  We'll post something on Boreal once we've finished moving.

Progress

Sorry for the delay in updating the expansion blog.  I have been so busy working on the expansion that I have neglected updating the site.  Plus, things have been changing daily - sometimes forward and sometimes backward so it is tough to put the progress into words.  I am happy to report that things are moving ahead and we plan to start construction of the new store in November.

Temporary Location
Our temporary location fell through so I had to find a new temporary home for our Co-op.  I am happy to say that we have secured a location and the lease is signed.  Our winter home will be at 2066 West Highway 61 in Grand Marais.  It is the former home of the bowling alley, The Howling Wolf and Gunnars.  The building is huge so we will be able to offer everything that we offer in our current location.  Plus, you will truly be able to belly up to the bar!  Sorry, we won't be selling any alcohol, but we will have our delicious muffins, scones, breakfast bars and coffee.

Owner Loans
We have collected over $450,000 in Owner Loans but would like to receive $150,000 more to complete our financing.  If you've been contemplating lending money to the Co-op, there is still time and no time like the present.  We have space in our 5,6 and 7 year terms and interest rates range from 2-3.5%.  Give Jennifer or Marietta a call at 218-387-1939 if you have any questions or would like to lend money.

Move Date
We are still reluctant to announce a move date, but it will be in early November and we could use volunteers.  Check Boreal and our website for updates on what volunteer opportunities will be available.

Stay Tuned
I'll try to update the blog more often with photos and progress as we expand our Co-op.

Owner Loan Progress

We did not reach our goal of $500,000 in Owner Loans by August 31st, but we have collected over $400,000 in Owner Loans.  We are well over half way to our goal of $600,000 in Owner Loans.  Thank you.  If you haven't lent yet, there is still time.  We plan to continue collecting Owner Loans until we reach our goal of $600,000.  Since we have had such a great response to the Owner Loan Program, some of the terms have filled.  Our 8 and 9 year loan slots are full, but there is still plenty of space in the 6 and 7 year terms.  E-mail jennifer@cookcounty.coop or call (218) 387-1939 if you would like to reserve space in a specific term or if you have questions about the Owner Loan Program.

Owner Loan Rates and Terms

Amount	5 YRS	6 YRS	7 YRS	8 yrs-full	9 yrs-full
$1,000-4,000	2.00%	2.25%	2.50%	3.00%	3.75%
$5,000-9,999	2.50%	2.75%	3.00%	3.50%	4.25%
$10,000 and up	3.00%	3.25%	3.50%	4.00%	5.00%

Temporary Location & Loans

Details about our temporary location are still being finalized, but we're planning to make the Grand Marais Gateway Lodge our winter home.  The Gateway Lodge is located next to WTIP Radio at 1800 West Highway 61 on the west end of Grand Marais, Minnesota.  There is plenty of parking and it's easy to access.  Our store will be in the restaurant and we will have offices and back stock in a couple of motel rooms.  Space will be tight in the store, but we plan to offer most of the same products and services that we have now.  Our move in date will be sometime in October - we'll have an exact date once our financing and building plans are complete.  I'll keep everyone posted as we get closer to the actual move.

Owner loans are doing well.  We are past the halfway mark!  We now have $321,000 in loans.  Hopefully we will have $500,000 in the Credit Union by August 31st and $600,000 by September 30th.  If you're thinking of lending money, now is the time to give.  The 9 year term is full and the 5 year term is filling up fast so give us a call at 218-387-1939 if you would like to reserve space in a specific term.

If you would like more information about the building project, attend our Expansion Meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, August 21st.  The meeting is being held at the 4-H Log Building by the Community Center. The building team from Builders Commonwealth and board members will be on hand to answer questions about the new building, our temporary space and the Owner Loan Program.  Coffee and cookies will be served.

Owner Loan Terms

Money continues to come in for our Owner Loan Drive.  We have raised $284,000 - almost half of our $600,000 goal!  Our 9 year term has filled, but we still have plenty of space in our 6 year - 8 year terms and there is still a bit of room in the 5 year term.  Interest rates range from 2-4%.  Give us a call at 218-387-1939 and reserve space in a specific term.  We would like to have another $200,000 in hand by August 31st.  Thank you.

August Expansion Meeting

Tuesday, August 21st

7:00 PM

4-H Log Building by Community Center

 

As we get closer to finalizing plans for our new store, we decided to have another Expansion Meeting to unveil the new store plans and layout and answer questions about the Owner Loan Program.  We'll be nearing the end of our Owner Loan Drive so we will be pushing to reach our goal of $600,000.  Stop by the meeting if you would like more information about the new store or if you have questions about our Owner Loan Program.  If you can't make it to the meeting, feel free to stop by the store anytime to ask questions about the project or the Owner Loan Program.

Owner Loan Progress

We're making progress with our Owner Loan Program! We have 200,000 in loans and pledges. We still need $400,000 to reach our goal. Please consider lending money to your Co-op. Call us at 218-387-1939 if you have any questions or would like an Owner Loan Packet mailed to you.

Four Season Mosaic Mural

The Cook County Whole Foods Co-op, along with mosaic mural artists  
Kelly Dupre and Jana Larson,  have been working on a plan to  
respectfully deal with the mural that now graces the north wall of the  
Co-op building.  The present co-op building is scheduled to be  
demolished in October to make way for a new facility. Upon careful  
examination by several knowledgeable tradesmen, it was determined that  
the wall the mural is attached to would not withstand the stress of  
either being moved in its entirety or having major construction going  
on around it. After much discussion it has been decided that the mural  
should be dismantled in pieces.  As the design process for the new Co-
op continues it is hoped that parts of the mural can be incorporated  
into the new construction.  It is also possible that pieces would be  
moved to other locations around the community.  The Co-op is committed  
to help support the mural project financially and it is hoped that  
more funding can be generated through a citizen campaign.