The New Pioneer Co-op board of directors announced today that a third store will be established in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The decision comes after the board of directors — by virtue of a unanimous vote on September 25 — entered into an agreement to purchase property for a third store location at 3338 Center Point Road in Cedar Rapids.
Work will begin “as soon as possible,” with the store expected to open in the next 12-18 months, according to the announcement. After an extensive search of the Johnson and Linn county area, the board of directors chose the Center Point Road location based on “market potential, reasonable cost of purchase and renovation, and the opportunity to open a store within two years.”
This announcement comes after 91 percent of the Co-op’s members voted this summer in favor of pursuing a third store within the company’s trade area, which extends across Johnson and Linn county. Regarding the New Pioneer Co-op’s plans for Iowa City, today’s announcement changes little:
The opening of a store in Cedar Rapids does not cancel the possibility of an additional store in Iowa City—nor does it mean we have abandoned our goal of relocating the store from Van Buren St. to a safer location out of the flood plain. The Planning Committee has continued to explore options on both of these fronts. While these discussions are preliminary at this point, we have reason to feel hopeful about growth in Iowa City. We emphasize that the development of the Cedar Rapids store does not diminish our opportunity or resources for this purpose. In fact, we believe it strengthens our position in the market.
Read the full announcement here.
if we could get a trader joes around here that would be dope