Newsletters: March - April 2008
Expansion Update
Natural Times-March/April 2008
By Cristin Burns
So much has happened since I last wrote that I am at a loss for where to begin. The biggest piece of news is that our timeline has been modified. Phase One of construction is now scheduled to be complete around April 1. Consequently, the project completion date will not be May 2008 as stated in the January Natural Times. We now hope that the renovation will be complete some time this summer.
I’m thrilled that our customers can finally see proof of the work that is being accomplished. If you’ve shopped in the past couple of weeks you have seen the temporary partition at the front of the store. We made room for the wall by shifting the grocery and registers. If you are having any difficulties locating products please ask us. Nothing was discontinued, with the exception of the water machine which will return at the end of the project, however some products have been relocated. Behind that wall our new restrooms and an office are being built. The exterior partition is allowing the front of the building to be demolished and reframed with the new entrance doors and windows.
Beyond the construction zone signs the underground plumbing and electrical work has been completed, the trenches have been filled with concrete and portions of the new concrete floor have been poured. In the rear of the building the grease trap was installed, the new receiving pad has been poured and the opening for the new stock room doors has been cut.
After occupying our space for almost 20 years we continue to discover quirks about our building. For instance, although we were aware that our building used to be a Sears, we were unaware that vestiges of that time still inhabit our rafters—like plumbing and electrical lines that run the length of the center. Detaching ourselves from this antiquated system is proving harder than we thought.
The new electrical service is a huge undertaking—keeping all of our existing equipment running while adding all of the new electrical lines and eventually combining the two. Once everything is in place we will disconnect from our old service and connect to the new service. The switch will temporarily shut off our power for several hours. However the plan is to do this overnight so as not to disturb the operations of the store.
I have to take this opportunity to thank Mad Dog Design and Construction, Darnell and Associates and Weston Trawick for working overnight shifts. Their willingness to work around our store hours has been beyond helpful. As Phase Two approaches we will be reorganizing the store yet again.
Once Phase Two begins the deli counter and seating area will be demolished. In order to continue providing the hot bar and salad bar, some deli equipment will be temporarily relocated. During this time the deli will be unable to offer made-to-order sandwiches, smoothies, espresso drinks and fresh juices. To accommodate for this inconvenience the grab ’n go section will be better than ever, including packaged sandwiches made fresh daily.
As we approach the end of Phase One and the beginning of Phase Two I’m sure we will discover further surprises. Please visit our website www.newleafmarket.coop for updates and photos of the progress.
