20 Dec Creekside Coop @ the End of an Era, Looking back to the Beginning

When you begin any design project, you begin it with so much hope in your heart. That was especially true when I had the honor to work on the CreekSide Co-op design committee. Back in 2012 our little downtown area needed a commercial shot in the arm in the worst way and many of us saw the new co-op as a catalyst to revitalize the district. I was so inspired when my old hometown friend Lindsey Rosenberg brought me onto the design committee so we could both work to make our adopted community better. I got to propose ideas to the community about how to visually communicate that the co-op was not just a store but also a gathering place, get community buy-in for our designs, and then help see the design to completion.

And guess what? Despite it’s ongoing financial difficulties, the co-op was a shot in the arm to our business district. It has been so heartening to see all the businesses that have opened near the EP train station, like Open Book Bookstore, Alexanders, Sicilian Trattoria, and park plates. I pray our community can continue to support these worthy establishments even as we face the imminent closing of the CreekSide Co-op this Saturday. I guess I buried the lead here but I wanted to start with a message of gratitude.

I made a video just now documenting the design process, and have included interior photos taken by Zach Kassutto when the co-op first opened in 2013. That’s me and Bruce Starr, who truly was the mastermind behind the design’s execution and designed and built ALL the casework, staring up at the Big Ass Fan (I’m not making that up, that’s the name of the fan company). The community provided seating in our “give a chair a job” initiative and Arcadia students painted the chairs. Table bases were made from lumber reclaimed from the jobsite. There was room for community art. There were so many touches like that that I am proud of to this day.

I am confident something good, something commercially viable, can rise from the ashes here, and in the meantime, if you weren’t at last night’s meeting but want to help, be sure to shop over the next three days so we can make sure the employees get paid. Posting this with immense sadness, and also immense love for our amazing community.

For still photos, click here to view.

This video documents some of the Creekside Co-op design process, and includes interior photos taken by Zach Kassutto when the store first opened in 2013.

If you are able to stop in and say good bye, perhaps make a purchase it will help greatly as the Creekside Co-Op closes for good on Saturday, December 22, 2018.  Map/directions to Creekside, click here.