Acorn reports to Village Council on progress

At Monday night's Village Council meeting, a presentation from board members Megan DeLeeuw and Theresa Herron of the Acorn Farmers Market and Café, updated the council on the non-profit store's momentum toward its goal of opening in April 2020.

DeLeeuw gave a brief background on the store's inception and early planning days, and described how plans are currently being implemented. A 501(c)3 status has been obtained, and the board is actively fund-raising to assist in building renovations and other preparations for being able to open the doors.

DeLeeuw and Herron added that while the board is excited about the progress and plans for this innovative new store in Manchester, it should not be considered a substitute for attracting a new grocery store, as the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Chamber of Commerce are working on recruitment for a full service grocer for the community.

"We would be complementary to that type of store," they stated. "We will not carry paper products, deli products, or canned goods. What we will have is fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, and dairy products, provided by local farmers."

They added that currently the Acorn board has a list of more than 120 suppliers who are interested in becoming vendors at the consignment grocery store and that all suppliers realize that the pricing will have to reflect Manchester needs and norms.

Acorn is seeking to raise $200,000 for start up expenses, and a significant grant opportunity has arisen for them to receive $100,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) if they can obtain matching funds from the community through a crowd-funding campaign.

The MEDC grant is through Patronicity, the same program the Manchester Area Historical Society used to receive matching funds to buy the Kingsley-Jenter House. Although not a requirement when the historical society used it, recent changes by the State mean that now in order to qualify for grant funds from the MEDC, Acorn needs the support of the Village Council to commit to a program of Best Practices, known as "Redevelopment Ready Communities" (RRC) certification.

Several council and planning commission members had previously attended an informational meeting about the RRC program, but the village's formal involvement was postponed as other local projects took precedence over the past year and a half.

"The MEDC works with Michigan communities seeking to streamline the development approval process by integrating transparency, predictability, and efficiency into their daily development practices," according to a flyer provided to Council last Monday. "Through RRC, communities commit to improving redevelopment readiness by agreeing to undergo an assessment, and work to achieve a (specific) set of criteria."

That criteria, according to Village Manager Jeff Wallace, would include a good deal of paperwork and augmentation of six-year goals and objectives for development-related programs. Quarterly reports of progress would also be required, which would involve significant work from staff and administration. However, without the village moving forward with the RRC program, the Acorn project might find itself without adequate funding, and other development projects which include grants from the State in the future might also be tied in to this program.

With that in mind, Council directed administration to move forward with a resolution to pursue RRC Certification and a vote will be brought at the first meeting in September.

After that vote is completed and the initial paperwork is submitted to the State, Acorn will be able to begin its fundraising campaign through Patronicity to recieve matching MEDC funds.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.