PORT TOWNSEND — A groundbreaking for the Port Townsend Food Co-op’s expansion will be delayed due to some city processes that are taking longer than expected.
“We had hoped we’d be further along in the process by now,” said co-op General Manager Kenna Eaton.
Eaton said her staff had hoped to break ground in August, but the expansion construction has been pushed back to November at least.
“We’ve been plugging away with planning and developing the expansion,” Eaton said. “My architect said it’s just an opportunity to make sure we’ve got it right.”
Eaton said the co-op does not yet have a price estimate for the expansion.
Co-op staff brought the proposed plan to city officials to discuss the expansion and realized there were a few steps that would take longer than expected, Eaton said.
The major delay is the commercial design review, which requires a public notice to be posted at the expansion site and will likely take about 120 days to complete, she said.
Under the current plan, the co-op will build a 2,900-square-foot addition onto the north side of the building at 414 Kearney St.
The new addition will serve as the back rooms, housing staff offices and product storage.
This will allow for the demolition of the current office and storage areas and add 1,500 square feet of retail space, Eaton said.
When the co-op moved into its current location in 2001, it had to build internally to create space for offices and storage, the manager said.
“It’s pretty crazy and crowded back there,” Eaton said.
“We want to improve working conditions for our staff, and it’ll also improve the shopping experience by giving the store a better flow.”
Updates will be posted to the co-op’s website at www.foodcoop.coop/expansion-info.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
