My wife, Rachel, and I have been members of Franklin Community Co-operative since 1992 and I started as an employee in 1993. Together we’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, including the big move from Chapman Street to Main Street — literally pushing fixtures down the sidewalks from one location to the next. It was a very exciting time for the organization; one that led to tremendous growth and opportunities.
It didn’t take long for the store to become one of the anchor businesses on Main Street.
Now, 27 years later, the co-op is once again bursting at its seams and is looking to embark upon another epic change: a larger store. The Franklin Community Co-operative is hopeful an expansion will allow the store to continue to be sustainable long into the future, providing the community with an amazing resource for healthy food, local products, and communal experiences, as well as good paying employment opportunities.
With the closure of Wilson’s Department Store, the opportunity for Green Fields Market to move into its first floor will hopefully lead to a new period of economic growth and change for the store and its customers, while also bringing more vitality and opportunities to our downtown. As the co-op is already a major hub of our city’s downtown, a move to a more central location should only increase its appeal and help our energize our community — and in this case, it fills prominent downtown location that might otherwise be vacant.
Wednesday, Jan. 29, marked the first of many public forums the Franklin Community Co-operative hopes to host as this process moves forward. There was so much interest in the event it was necessary to move from 170 Main St. to Saints James and Andrew Church.
The energy and excitement of the over 150 people at the event was palpable. Opening remarks were made by board member and “MC” Rachael Katz, who turned the mic over to Board of Directors’ President George Touloumtzis. George explained the Board’s process of searching for a new home and how it narrowed its choices to Wilson’s. General Manager John Williams then shared his “marching orders” from the board to secure a sight “with lots of parking!” and “to stay on Main Street!” — both of these mandates coming directly from member surveys.
The biggest applause of the night came when a slide showing the architectural rendering of the potential Green Field’s Market at the Wilson’s building with the white façade removed and a Green Fields Market sign above the main door. People were visibly excited and the room was a buzz!
It felt great for both my wife and me to be in a room full of people who understood the necessity of a co-op expansion and shared a similar vision for how its expansion could benefit the downtown and greater community. Wednesday’s meeting marked the beginning of something special, both for the co-op and the city of Greenfield. We would encourage people, from outside the co-op community to become engaged in the dialogue and the process of the store’s expansion.
The forums offered by the Franklin Community Co-operative give a chance for all voices to be heard and for everyone to share in the positive aspects of this move. Join the discussion of this opportunity for the continued growth of our city and one of its anchor businesses.
Micah Roberts is a resident of Greenfield.