30-03-2025
‘Natural next step': Boise Co-op considers 5 areas for expansion. Where it may build next
A decade after the Boise Co-op opened its second store at The Village at Meridian, the local grocery cooperative is hoping to spread its organic, fair-trade products to even more people in the Treasure Valley.
Expanding into a third store is on the horizon for the Boise business, according to the nonprofit's director of marketing — but only at the 'right place, right time.'
'We don't want to rush it,' Tyler Schnur told the Idaho Statesman by phone.
The marketing director said he's been hearing from customers that they want more of what the store has to offer, and that the co-op has been looking into ways to grow.
'We've been getting that feedback for quite a few years now, more and more, especially in the last six months, that our Village store is kind of bursting at the seams,' Schnur said. 'We have a lot of people that drive pretty long treks just to shop at the Village location, which is awesome ... It just seems like that's kind of like the most-natural next step for us.
The co-op, which has more than 32,000 members, is setting its sights on a few different areas for expanding, including Southeast Boise, South Meridian, Kuna and Star, Schnur said.
One location has stood out so far as potentially 'a really great fit.' According to preliminary application documents filed with the city of Meridian, the co-op is considering developing a vacant 5-acre piece of land on the northwest corner of Black Cat Road and Chinden Boulevard.
Preliminary documents show three buildings that could go up on the site, including a roughly 25,000-square-foot building for a Boise Co-op store, as well as two other smaller buildings that Schnur said would be 'built to suit' other potential tenants that would not be part of the co-op. The early-stage plans also show 211 parking spaces. Plans are subject to change.
The preliminary plans were designed by Boise architecture firm Rodney Evans and Partners. According to the Ada County Assessor's Office, the land the co-op is eyeing is owned by HBU Investments LLC, an Los Angeles-based home-building company, and is valued at nearly $657,000.
Schnur emphasized that no lease has been signed and that 'nothing's official.' He said he's 'hopeful' that a store on Black Cat could move forward, but that 'if it doesn't work out, we will be looking for other opportunities.'
Still, he said an 'extensive market analysis,' 'site visits,' and 'some good old-fashioned cold-calling' have generated interest in the Black Cat location.
Schnur said he hopes a new store would cut down on driving times for customers in the fast-growing Boise-area suburbs and provide more employment opportunities.
If a lease is secured, the co-op's next step would be to submit an official application with the city.
In addition to the Village location, the co-op also has its original grocery store at 888 W. Fort St. in Boise, as well as a wine shop and pet-supply store across the parking lot from the grocery store. The co-op is known for offering local and fair-trade ingredients and goods, membership discounts, and health-conscious prepared foods like sandwiches, salads, and pizza.
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