Everything about this co-op is what I look to support with my buying power. To have this coop on the CTA Red Line would be amazing and I hope the city/CTA step up and move this forward with Chicago Market. They would be a fantastic addition to the community in Uptown. We don’t need another lousy chain store. The community is rallying around Chicago Market and their vision to open in this Wilson Ave. location.

I recently relocated from Indianapolis, where I began shopping at the only coop in town. It didn’t take long for me to build relationships with the people working there, and shopping became a less stressful; I felt supported by the coop to live my values. After moving to Chicago, I found that I had to drive 20 minutes to the nearest coop; and although it is lovely, being able to walk or take public transit easily to a coop would allow me to live my values even more. Coops allow me access to many of the products that support my low-waste lifestyle that I struggle to find anywhere else. I know Chicago Market offers support to my chosen lifestyle, and I give my full support to their efforts to find a physical location to grow roots!

Almost 40 years ago I was introduced to food cooperatives while a college student & my grocery experience was forever changed. Chicago Market would be a great fit for the Wilson CTA space because it represents healthy food, community involvement, and a diversity of families & individuals committed to sustainable living. It would really be a unique opportunity for Uptown to be a part of this!

I spent much of my young adult life being a member of food coops where I lived in Massachusetts and San Francisco. I have shopped in food coops in NH, Minnesota, Maine, Vermont, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. I have always found it odd that finding food coops in Chicago should be such a challenge. I miss the community and the dedication to sustainability. I miss the dedication to community, local and organic and sustainability. I think we can do better than the corporate model of food production. Other cities do. Why not us?

Growing up, my family had little money, lived on food stamps, and grew as much as we could—the irony was that we lived in an affluent neighborhood right outside of Chicago. Not until I was older did I realize that our industrial landscape of a food system had contributed to the disportionate distribution of food within our community. Our economy has not only weeded out our local farmers & producers, it has created deep food insecurity in one of the wealthiest countries in the entire world. Right now is the time for change, we are stronger together as the co-op motto reflects. Food cooperatives have proven, throughout our human history, to protect the land, its people & an economy independent of greed. Food cooperatives are our barrier to an insecure global food market as well as the difference between our communities being “fed” vs. being nourished for years to come.

I have worked at Gethsemane Garden Center for the past 5 years. I strongly believe that family-owned businesses create a strong-economic and neighbor-friendly community of concerned citizens. I proudly support farmers and local producers by advocating for this large distribution destination!

I work with a Detroit-based nonprofit that addresses food security issues. Replication is important and this is a great fit for Chicago.

Finally, Uptown will get a grocery store within walking distance for thousands of people.

This would be a useful and unique addition to this neighborhood. It’s location in regard to public transportation makes it ideal.

In the past year, when the divisions within our country have become overwhelming and it feels like the fundamentals of our democracy are at risk, I have found incredible hope and friendship by getting to know my neighbors and helping to build stronger bonds within our community. I’ve never felt more connected to my neighborhood and my city than I do now. I’ve recognized the importance of strengthening local communities as the means of truly making this country great. An effective way of doing that is by investing in local business – especially those that provide returns to the local community through offering well-paying jobs, supporting the health and well-being of the community and strengthening community ties. The Chicago Market does all of that. Allowing the Chicago Market to be located at the Wilson CTA would provide the additional benefits of being situated in a convenient spot in a community that desperately needs good jobs and easy access to affordable, healthy, locally sourced food.

I believe we have a responsibility to support the local economy, as well as have high-quality local food options.

Locally owned businesses are the backbone of a strong economy and community. After all, it’s the locals that make Chicago a city like no other.


Chicago Market will not only strengthen the community through investments such as providing jobs for the community and supporting local vendors & producers but also by providing the community with a place where anyone can stop in and pick up fresh and nutritious food.

I have family, colleagues and client organizations who will benefit from all that Chicago Market is striving to achieve. The new store and the community that builds it will be powerful proof to all that thoughtful and persistent collaboration around a powerful vision can make a positive difference.

I have lived in Uptown for many years but have been surprised at the lack of a Food Coop.Good quality, sustainable non-processed foods will certainly help the local population purchase healthy food at reasonable prices and help plow money back into our community.The Chicago MKT Coop planned to open at the Broadway+Wilson CTA would be an Asset to the Community at large.

I am a longtime resident of Uptown. The food coop is just the type of grocery store I prefer to shop at. Usually I shop at a combination of Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Edgewater Produce. Aside from the convenience, I would prefer to spend my dollars in my own community! Broadway wilson will be the perfect location for so many locals and well as commuters.

Everyone should have access to good quality food at reasonable prices. It would be a wonderful addition to our community.

I believe that sustainable fresh non-processed foods should be available to everyone at affordable prices. It is good for the health of all of us and for the health of our local economy. The Chicago MKT Co Op will do just that while supporting local farmers. The big box grocers deal in commodity food distribution based on acquisition pricing rather than the quality of the food they sell. The MKT’s priority will be serving people with the very best food. Please support this great project!!

I grew up in Madison WI, and thought that coops were just a fact of life. Not so, as I learned after moving to Chicago. Coops are, of course, a great way to connect with healthy food and support local producers, but more importantly they are a true community center, as the community has ownership in the coop. Please approve this site. Chicago desperately needs food coops, and this community in particular needs a center for the great people of uptown.

Food is humanity’s greatest unifier, and having a cooperative in this community could substantially increase the connectivity, resilience, and overall health and vitality of each and every individual who comes into contact with it. I am so excited about the possibility of this in Uptown, and I can only foresee great things emerging from this idea when it becomes a reality. Let’s come together and make this happen for the benefit of us all!

20 years ago I planted antique apple trees in a small city yard. I enjoyed flavor diversity that I couldn’t find in a supermarket. The way I see it, every small farm has the potential to be a Natural History Museum, preserving flavor and variety. I’d like to keep all that variety going by supporting those farmers that keep botanical variations alive. A local market could be a great outlet for that. Maybe there could be as many fruit/veggie varieties as there are emojis. That would be exciting.

I grew up outside of Chicago, and always saw Chicago as a leader of excellent large-city community supported projects. Nothing says “Amazing Neighborhood” like a food coop, bringing fresh food in a communal structure to one of the best cities in the world.

I would be able to walk to a grocery store that has healthy food options and is a benefit to the neighborhood I live and work in. Right now I drive to Whole Foods. I am an owner.

Add your name! Let’s bring Chicago Market – A Community Co-op & local healthy food to Wilson CTA! #ChiMktAtCTAWilson