The Medford Food Co-op has submitted plans to the City of Medford, for a new, nearly 10,000 sqft building.
The project consists of the construction of a new grocery store, which is roughly 9,535 sqft, for the Medford Food Cooperative located at 945 South Riverside Avenue, which will replace the existing grocery store.
The existing grocery store will be demolished once the new building is completed such that operations for the Medford Food Cooperative will continue with as minimal disruption as possible.
The building structure will composed of a pre-engineered metal building with public facing facades finished with stucco and the non-public facing sides of the building finished with metal panels.
The building is set further back from the street to allow for more parking and provide a more isolation from the activity along South Riverside Avenue. Planners say this allows for greater sound attenuation, more parking, and more of sense of place with its relationship to the street and placement on the site.
Designers say the facade is attempting to recreate the historical vernacular of the local area with large, tall windows along the public facing facades on west and north elevations. The windows help break down the large facades and are further divided into small segments with strategically placed control joints within the stucco. The exterior wall sconces are placed to balance the windows and help distribute the general mass of the façade into more palpable areas.
To help guide the users of the building towards the focal points, designers have provided canopies over the door and along the west facade. To create a transition point and a visual barrier between the main parking area and the building, planners have proposed a standalone wood trellis that helps define the edge of the two focal points but also creates a unique space for building users.
The Medford Planning Commission will hear the full proposal at their May 10th meeting. If approved, the project will then head over to the Site Plan and Architectural Committee, prior to final approval and issuing of building permits.
The Medford Food Cooperative released the following statement regarding this project:
“Thanks to ongoing community support and continued growth, the Medford Food Co-op Board of Directors has been exploring expansion options for the last several years. Recently, Medford Food Co-op submitted preliminary plans to the City’s Planning Department to determine the possibility of an expansion at the current location. The Board is still assessing expansion feasibility and feedback from the Planning Department is essential before involving owners, employees, and the community in a wider discussion”.
Source: City of Medford / Medford Food Co-Op
