The member-owned, natural foods market Seward Community Co-op plans to open a second location in south Minneapolis.
 
Seward is planning a community meeting to discuss details and the store is expected to open in 18 to 24 months, according to the Star Tribune. It would will replace the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, an empty lot, and up to three residences, at East 38th Street and Clinton Avenue South.
 
The project is estimated to cost $10 million, according to the Minneapolis newspaper, and it is expected to receive financing through traditional bank sources, tax credits, and $1.5 million in capital from its members. It is expected to add an estimated 100 employees.
 
The second location marks continued growth for the natural foods grocery store. In early 2009, the original Seward Co-op moved eight blocks to its current 25,000-square-foot location, and its membership has increased from 4,500 in 2007 to 11,000 currently, according to the Star Tribune.
 
In August, Twin Cities Business named the Seward Co-op as one of its 2012 Small Business Success Stories. Click here to read the full story about the organization’s growth.