As reported in today's Cap Times by Mike Ivey, the Willy Street Co-op is opening a new kitchen a few blocks from its current space on Williamson. The kitchen is on 1882 E. Main St., fronting the area of land envisioned to become the new eastside central park. The April Willy St. Co-op newsletter announces the opening here.

Ivey reports the kitchen "will provide the grocery with a variety of hot and cold food items. Since moving into its new space in 1999, the co-op has seen a doubling in membership, creating a need for more production space."

The co-op describes the kitchen as "finally open and fully functional," and invites co-op members to "[s]top by and check it out on Friday, April 8th. We'll be having a party to thank those who made it possible - tasty food, beer, wine and soda, and a live band will be playing as well. You can also meet some of the other building's tenants - chocolatier Gail Ambrosius and yoga instructor Jim Manos."

As provided by the co-op on its website, a timeline of the Willy Street Co-op Kitchen describes the progress made in constructing the site over the last three months, while a photo gallery tells the same story in a pictoral form.

The article in TCT also reports the co-op's partnership with Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch, "which is working to provide local, organic produce to area schools and hospitals." Doug Wubben, the project coordinator of this program was quoted as saying that the kitchen will be "a tremendous boost to the effort of encouraging more institutions to use local, farm-fresh foods."

This expansion is on top of the current speculation that the co-op will be opening a second location in the Madison area sometime soon. Discussed sites have included the former site of Ken Kopp's on Monroe (the site of which was recently approved by the Common Council for a major redevelopment), the second phase of the Metropolitan Place condo complex beween West Wash and Mifflin, and even the empty grocery space on Sherman on the northside. The former two locations are much more likely, however, pending the interest of Trader Joe's in the Monroe Commons space, and the choices made by the much smaller Mifflin Street Co-op with regards to the new Mifflin St. development.

Note: This photo is courtesy of the Willy St. Coop website.