Vacant Downtown building could become grocery store
Feb. 12—New life may soon be breathed into Downtown St. Joseph through a building that has sat empty for nearly 20 years, with the idea to fill the space with a grocery store.
Sitting at 101 Francis St., the owners of Restoration Church have had the building on a lease agreement for the last nine years, unsure how to utilize the space. They were granted a six-month extension and now are looking to raise the funding to fill the building with something the community desperately needs.
"This can be something that's more locally owned, locally promoted and in partnership with local growers," Tim Doyle, store operator said. "We're excited about a farmer's market type feel where we can work with the local vendors, the local growers, kind of a combination of that farmer's market and then an Aldi's or a Trader Joe's type model blended together uniquely St. Joseph."
The building itself would cost $48,000 to purchase, which is currently being raised through a Go Fund Me page launched at the end of January. So far, about $6,500 has been raised.
The rich history of the building made it the perfect contender for the store's blueprints to be drawn. It once served the community as a three-story hotel, but that top floor has been removed. Doyle said any time there is a community survey, the top response for what Downtown needs is a grocery store.
"We just felt like this building is in the perfect location, not only because it's Downtown, but even where it is historically," Doyle said. "That it is right here on the head of the trails heading west, you know, seven different trails, only city in America to have that distinction. We can recreate the old city market feel by bringing this building to a place where it can be utilized as a community asset but also address a real practical thing, which is the largest food desert in St. Joseph is one where we're standing."
Doyle said the dream is big but it is possible. To put a grocery store in the building, the space would need a complete renovation and inspections to ensure the structure is sound. Due to how large the space is, putting a pharmacy inside as well would bridge another gap for the community.
"We know how much work it takes to make these 150-year-old buildings fit current city code," Doyle said. "It's heroic, it's gargantuan, and that takes a lot of money. It takes a lot of partnerships, takes a lot of willingness for people to work together. And honestly, I believe that there's no other space in Downtown that deserves that effort more than this."
Doyle said if there is any time to make a store happen for the Downtown district, it is now.
"There's been so much cool stuff happen Downtown just in the past 10 years since we've been here and there's a momentum that's going right now," he said. "We think we came down here at the perfect time, but it does take someone with vision and the willingness to do the hard work and then to raise the funds to make it happen."
The six-month extension on the lease brings the deadline to August to raise the almost $40,000 remaining. If the store does come to life, it will be an entirely separate entity from the church, serving the community as a for-profit business, Doyle said.
Stef Manchen can be reached at stef.manchen@newspressnow.com.
