This is the 2nd post in this blog series on a "*Central Park Market*". Here is a copy of my initial email to the "OND yahoo group listserv":http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oldnorthdurham, and below it are excerpts from posts about the Co-op and the idea of a downtown Co-op. Two more posts on this can be read at "CPM1":http://www.durhamfoodcoop.org/CPM1 and "CPM3":http://www.durhamfoodcoop.org/CPM3.

On Thu, Feb 15 I sent this email:
"Thanks to OND neighbors who forwarded some of the discussion on this list to me. It's pretty exciting to see a revitalized Downtown Durham, and the surrounding neighborhoods will no doubt greatly benefit - in the long run. It's also great to hear that many people are interested and excited about bringing a grocery store to Downtown. With the new Farmer's Market opening pretty soon, it seems like a natural place for a "Central Park Market" a la Weaver Street.

It may very well be that a national chain such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe, or Kroger will at some point decide to locate there. However, wouldn't it be great to have a truly local store, where the profits don't go to Texas, California or Ohio, but stay right here in Durham - even get reinvested in the community? And one where supporting local sustainable agriculture and businesses come first? And this does not mean higher prices...

I'm talking cooperative here, and Weaver Street Market is a successful growing Co-op that works to benefits its members and the community. Well, what about the Durham Food Co-op? Durham is not Carrboro or Chapel Hill; Durham is progressive, while Carrboro is hip. Durham has a Co-op with emphasis on fulfilling a social mission (but it has a dismal business record), while Weaver Street Market has its business together. This past year, however, has seen some changes at the Co-op, and the current leadership makes business - being sustainable - a priority as well.

The Co-op has a loyal member/customer base (otherwise it could not have survived for 35 years), but it is no secret that the Co-op has been struggling to make ends meet. A few years ago the past Co-op board and members looked extensively into a possible new location, but a move was deemed unfeasible at the time. However, a proposal last year to relocate to the Central Park area received quite a bit of member support, and if there was active support for the Co-op to relocate and reshape it might be a realistic possibility. Right now, the Co-op board and staff are working on providing a wider selection, better service, etc and to improve the Co-op's business and social impact in its current location on West Chapel Hill Street. The board is working with a former Co-op consultant to improve operations and governance, and is hoping to get support from Weaver Street Market in the revitalization efforts at the Co-op as well.

I'd love to talk more with people who would be interested in actively working on a business plan for a cooperative in Downtown Durham, and/or who would be invested in exploring such an option. I think it would be great to get a dialog started among the Co-op members and community members who are willing to work together to benefit the community as a whole.

Best,
Sven Rinke, Durham Food Co-op member, "http://www.durhamfoodcoop.org":http://www.durhamfoodcoop.org
"

After receiving some good responses, I sent another email with general information on Cooperatives and the Durham Food Co-op, titled "*Central Park Market - A Downtown Durham Co-op?*", in which I quote "Wikipedia's definition of a Food Co-op":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_coop and "What is a Consumer Cooperative":http://www.cooperativegrocer.coop/cg_coops.html from the Cooperative Grocer. I also put in links to "Julia Marsden's Co-op documentary on YouTube":http://www.durhamfoodcoop.org/YouTube and the "radio interview about Co-ops with Denise VanDeCruze":http://www.durhamfoodcoop.org/CoopCommunity.

Here's what one person has to say about the Co-op:
"I guess I should pay the co-op a visit and see if it has "grown up" a bit more. I tried shopping there a couple of times several years back and it was not a great experience - limited options, food on the verge of going bad, poor service. If the Co-op has matured as a business, I could see getting involved and encouraging a move and expansion... if it has remained in the same state, I would personally prefer finding another grocery store to locate nearby. Maybe some of the neighborhood members could speak to the current state of the Co-op for those of us who are not very familiar...?

In any case, I would fully support having a Trader Joe's nearby, but I know they have turned up their nose at Durham so far."

Another respondent gives the following insightful comment: "As one who has tried the co-op a few times in the last couple of years and found it a less than satisfying experience, I'm also glad to hear of a turnaround and will go check it out. I do think, though, that I would have to be persuaded of a big change before I'd be excited about it coming to our part of town.

The reason why Weaver St. is such an exciting idea is because the store not only has good food, good produce, but that it has been very effective in creating a sense of community in downtown Carrboro. Carrboro wasn't at all hip when I moved there in the early 90s, and there was no real sense of community. Weaver St. made a lot of sound decisions and its success has seemed instrumental in creating the kind of development that I think we would like to see around our neighborhood. Plus, it pays well and gives good benefits for a grocery store, thus creating good local jobs. As a cook in their kitchen and a longtime member, I can testify to that first hand. Weaver St. works well as a business, and thus works well to sustain economic, social, and cultural values that I believe in.

I don't see the Durham Co-op having the people or structure in place to effect this kind of communal momentum here, based on my experience. The building is awesome for a good grocery store, especially if space out back were made available for music and outdoor seating during the warmer months. I think we should try to make it happen with the best possible business. While not a fan of big chains, I'm also not rich enough to buy food to sustain a co-op that is not well-organized and working as it best can. So I'm not interested, personally, in soliciting a co-op that doesn't have the framework in place to carry out the kind of vision it might have.

Given that this is such a topic of interest, maybe we all should be trooping over to the co-op to see if it really has improved. And maybe Sven would be interested in making a presentation to the board or at the next potluck."

Two more posts on this can be read at "CPM1":http://www.durhamfoodcoop.org/CPM1 and "CPM3":http://www.durhamfoodcoop.org/CPM3.