Bloomingfoods opens new location

The Elm Heights location of Bloomingfoods opened its doors for the first time Aug. 23.
Its location on the corner of South Fess Avenue and East Second Street was once the site of another neighborhood grocery store.

“We wanted to rehab the site and bring back the community feeling of a neighborhood grocery store in the area,” Steve Stroup, membership coordinator at Bloomingfoods, said.

Bloomingfoods, in conjunction with the Elm Heights Neighborhood Association, negotiated with the landowner to develop the space for the new store and a small apartment structure.

Stroup said the decision to expand Bloomingfoods was obvious because the Near West Side and East locations were becoming crowded with customers.

“We chose the Elm Heights location because our research showed that there were a large number of co-op member owners who lived in the area,” Stroup said.

The project was financed through a combination of cash reserves and loans from co-op member owners and external lenders.

“Our goal was to raise $800,000 through member loans, and we ended up getting $1.3 million,” Stroup said. “The response was overwhelmingly generous and supportive.”

One hundred thirty individual member owners loaned money to the project in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $100,000.

“The fact that so many people loaned us this money shows how involved and committed the community is,” Stroup said.

“And that helps us when we go to banks to get the additional financing for the project.”
The new store was designed to be not only environmentally conscious, but also aesthetically pleasing, Stroup said.

Some of the green features include high-efficiency lighting,high-efficiency heating and air conditioning, a roof designed to accommodate solar panels in the future and cold cases with closed doors to save energy.

Kirkwood Design Studio was tasked with coordinating the interior architecture and design with the electrical, manufacturing, plumbing and exterior design.

“We wanted to harken back to the style of neighborhood grocery stores in the ’20s and ’30s in a way that references but doesn’t copy,” said Dawn Gray, architect at Kirkwood Design Studio. “The vibe is historically modern.”

Nell Weatherwax, a Bloomingfoods co-op member and lifelong Bloomington resident, enjoyed lunch with a friend at the new location Wednesday afternoon.

“I love the design, I love the location,” Weatherwax said.

Weatherwax said her only concern about the new location was the limited parking availability.

There are only about 20 spaces in the lot.

Stroup said since many member owners who will shop at the store live in the area, he anticipates a lot of bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

“The fact that we are so close to our consumers makes the location even more environmentally sound since our members will not have to drive to get here,” Stroup said.

Follow health, science and environment reporter Brianna Meyer on Twitter
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