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Penn State Extension updates commissioners on Aliquippa Food Co-op plan and site work
Summary
Penn State Extension staff reported progress on the Aliquippa Food Co-op: a building at 1210 Franklin Avenue has been acquired, the project received a $150,000 USDA healthy food financing grant plus smaller grants, engineering work is under way and a kickoff event is planned for June 16; the co-op aims to open in 2027.
Penn State Extension staff on May 22 updated the Beaver County Board of Commissioners on a multi-year effort to establish an Aliquippa Food Co-op intended to increase local food access, support regional producers and provide community education.
Mary Alice Geddes, a senior educator with Penn State Extension, told the commissioners the Aliquippa Food Council — formed in February 2018 as part of a national "Well Connected Communities" extension project — steered the co-op planning. Geddes said the council prioritized a combined approach of increasing food access while providing nutrition and wellness education.
Geddes reported the project has received several grants: a $150,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Healthy Food Financing Initiative grant (awarded in late 2024), a $5,000 Collective Courage grant for outreach, and a $20,000 grant for technical support. The council has contracted Keystone Development Center for technical expertise to help plan the co-op and run the future store.
A property at 1210 Franklin Avenue in Aliquippa has been acquired as the proposed site. Geddes said two architectural proposals are pending, a civil engineering assessment has been completed, and the property owner is working with the city, school district and the county to exonerate back taxes to lower project costs. Commissioners received an email from Kai Patel with additional information about that tax status overnight, according to the meeting record.
Geddes said a kickoff block party and organizational meeting is scheduled for June 16 at Sound the Alarm Church, where the co-op will seek member sign-ups and vote on bylaws and board members. The co-op plans to run as a member-owned cooperative; Geddes said membership will be a one-time lifetime payment of $250 with payment-plan options (e.g., $50 or as little as $10 per month).
The co-op aims for a 2027 opening and intends to prioritize locally produced food, provide a teaching kitchen, and involve youth through an "Aliquippa Food Force" developed with Penn State's Department of Nutritional Sciences. Geddes said the project estimates that for every dollar spent at the co-op, $1.60 to $2.00 would circulate in the local economy through wages, supplier spending and household purchases.
Geddes asked commissioners and the public to help recruit board members with bookkeeping and legal backgrounds to support governance and financial management as membership sales begin.
No formal board action on the co-op was taken at the May 22 meeting; the presentation was listed under visitors' comments and informational reports.
