BUTTE — In 2021, Butte got the green light to start a community-owned grocery store; now, four years later, organizers of the Butte Co-op have still not found a suitable location. This has been a long and sometimes frustrating process.
“We’re just telling everybody, don’t lose hope. We’re working hard,” said Butte Co-op Board President Heidi Noyes.
The co-op board was prepared to close on a location in October. However, it was in a district that would not make the co-op eligible for about $400,000 in USDA grant funding, so the board had to pass.
“Oh, it was awful. I mean, we struggled, we struggled with the decision. We have a place, and can we make this work? It was really hard,” said Noyes.
The search continues. The board is working with two other undisclosed property owners with potential locations.
“It takes an average of eight years for co-ops to find their location national, so we’re ahead of the curve there,” she said.
Butte co-op officials say the ideal location would be in a historic building in Uptown, with at least 6,500 square feet and on-site parking for about 30 vehicles.
“Keep the faith, we’re working hard. If anybody has any ideas, we’re happy to look at them,” said Noyes.
The co-op has almost 900 members and the cost of the project is between $2 million to $4 million.
