Keweenaw Co-Op Breaks ground at New Location

Fencing is up, and construction crews are at work in downtown Hancock. Yesterday afternoon the Keweenaw Co-op brought together community stakeholders, and members of the grocer to hold an official ground breaking ceremony at the Co-op’s new location. The member owned grocer has operated in the area for fifty years. Starting in the Karma Funky Cafe’s backroom in 1973. Eventually expanding to its current location on Ethel Avenue, that it has since outgrown. The new location, at the former Keweenaw Buick GMC dealership, will include an 4,000 square foot addition to the site’s footprint. The new location additionally comes with much needed parking, as customers sometimes need to use street parking at the Ethel Avenue location.

We also want to thank all of you for the support you gave us, both, in shopping at the Co-Op and also our recent capital campaign we did. And the continued support to be able to have this turn out to be such an amazing project with all of the stakeholders involved. From MEDC to Hancock, but most of all the community’s support. And we hope that you will continue to shop at the Co-Op. And you’ll actually have a place to park.” – Roger Woods, Keweenaw Co-Op Board Member

During the last two years co-op members raised money for the big move through a capital campaign, totaling more than one million dollars. As well as leveraging grants with the City of Hancock ($35,000 for facade and infrastructure), Michigan Economic Development Corporation ($1.4 million Community Revitalization Program Grant), Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development ($100,000 Regional Food Systems Grant) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture ($200,000 Healthy Food Financing Initiative grant).

Construction crews will continue working on the new store location for another eight to nine months. With equipment installations taking place after that. The Co-Op hopes to have the new downtown location open sometime in early 2024, if all goes according to plan.