$500K state grant will help Menomonie Market Food Co-op expand
A half-million dollar state grant will help the Menomonie Market Food Co-op realize its ambitious downtown expansion plans while also catalyzing a city project to create a new home for the Menomonie Farmers Market.
The $500,000 grant, announced Jan. 14, will come from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to the city of Menomonie, says Crystal Halvorson, the co-op’s general manager. The city will then pass the entire amount on to the Menomonie Market to help fund the co-op’s nearly $4 million project to build a new 12,000-square-foot grocery store at 808 Main St. East. In exchange for receiving the money, the co-op won’t pursue special Tax Incremental Financing credits that would otherwise be available, and the taxes paid by the co-op to the city will be used to pay for street improvements on Eighth Street and the construction of a farmers market pavilion across the street from nearby Wilson Park. (Think of it as Menomonie’s version of the pavilion in Eau Claire’s Phoenix Park.)
“We have that multiplying effect on economic growth, because the profits go back to the owners right here.”
– Crystal Halvorson, Menomonie Market Food Co-op general manager
“The grant helps us add a couple of sustainability features that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford out of the gate,” including capturing all water runoff from the 1.3-acre site, Halvorson said. In addition, the co-op will likely be able to hire a full-time education and outreach coordinator. However, she said, “The bigger impact is going to be our ability to run profitably faster.” Essentially, the co-op won’t have to take on nearly as much debt to complete the project.
Menomonie Market’s expansion has been prompted by the co-op’s rapid growth in recent years: There are now roughly 1,800 member households, compared with 325 when the co-op moved into its current store, 521 Second St., in 2001. The new store will provide about 4.5 times as much space as the current one, and is slated for completion this summer next to a former Dunn County office building that will be demolished. The foundation for the new building has already been poured, and workers are now waiting for cement and brick to arrive.
While $500,000 is a lot of cabbage – or, if you prefer, kale – Halvorson says the grant is a worthwhile public investment because of the deep economic impact of the co-op. “We have that multiplying effect on economic growth, because the profits go back to the owners right here,” she said. “And because of our emphasis on local food, a lot of our expenses are money that’s going back into the community.”
In a press release, Menomonie Mayor Randy Knaack echoed the sentiment: “The impact this will have on our community is great by supporting a community need, creating jobs, and improving our tax base. This improvement will initiate an economic development reaction that will affect multiple businesses within the area in a positive way, continuing the positive growth in our community.”
According to the WEDC, the state’s public-private economic development entity, Menomonie was one of seven communities to receive a grant out of 32 who applied during the most recent round of funding. Halvorson said Menomonie was the only one to receive the full $500,000 grant.
To learn more about the Menomonie Market Food Co-op, visit www.mmfc.coop.
