Business

Pine Village Preschool Moving Into Old Harvest Co-Op Building on South Street

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From groceries to little kids: the old Harvest Co-Op building on South Street will be empty no more come September. Joana Araujo, director of the Pine Village Preschool, confirmed to Jamaica Plain News that the school will be moving its classrooms at the First Baptist Church (633 Centre St.) to a roomier space at the former Harvest Co-Op location at 57 South St. Pine Village Preschool (PVP) is a Spanish Language Immersion school for toddlers and preschoolers with two locations in Jamaica Plain, with the second in St John's Episcopal Church on Revere Street. "Our Mission is to educate and nurture each child’s individuality within a culturally diverse, bilingual community so that every child develops a true passion for learning and an ability to engage in any environment and community," says the school's website. Araujo, originally from the Azores, immigrated to the United Sates 14 years ago.

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The former Harvest Coop space at 57 South St. on May 20, 2015.
Business

Life Alive Cafe Confirms It Wants a Jamaica Plain Location

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Vegan-friendly Life Alive confirms it wants to open a location in JP — but it won't be 57 South St., former home of Harvest Coop.  

Jamaica Plain News reached out to Life Alive, which has locations in Salem, Cambridge and Lowell, about possibly moving to 57 South St., after residents mentioned it as something they'd like to see in the space. Here's Live Alive's response:
We are thrilled to hear that Jamaica Plain's residents want us to bring one of our cafes to the neighborhood. We do indeed have plans to expand to JP. We have already considered the old Harvest Coop location and, unfortunately, it was not a good fit for us.

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The former Harvest Coop space at 57 South St. on May 20, 2015.
Business

The Old Harvest Space on South Street: What Should Go There?

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Perhaps no commercial vacancy in the last few years has prompted as much speculation on what should go there next as 57 South St., former home of Harvest Coop. Landlord Dean Rusk is marketing the property as a "retail/restaurant" opportunity, according to a poster in the window. Interested parties are asked to call 617-274-4900 or email info@bosurban.com. Harvest shuttered the store in April, citing operating losses in each of the past three fiscal years. Harvest has a location .7 miles away across from Forest Hills Station.

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Detlev Alain Koepke
Obituaries

Detlev Alain Koepke, 58: Philosophy Teacher, Neighborhood Advocate

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Detlev Alain Koepke was born on June 23, 1956 at Kandang Kerbau Hospital in Singapore. He spent his early childhood in Munich, Germany and immigrated to the United States at age nine. After graduating from the liberal arts honors program at the University of Texas at age 19, and attending Columbia University’s Ph.D history program on a full scholarship (he obtained a Master’s degree), Detlev moved to Boston in 1983 to attend Harvard Divinity School. In his 30-plus years in Jamaica Plain, Detlev was very active in the local community, in many creative, academic and social justice pursuits. He participated and performed in international folk dancing troupes, sang in the Dedham Choral Society, and formed a number of recorder performance groups.

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Business

Statement from Harvest Coop Board on Closure of South Street Store

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On Tuesday, Harvest Coop announced it will be closing its 57 South St. store. Below is a letter from the community-owned grocer's board of directors. Background

The Harvest Co-op Market on South Street in Jamaica Plain is facing the end of its lease term on February 28, 2015. The store has operated in this location for 15 years and has been a valued part of the neighborhood since it opened.

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Business

Harvest to Shutter South Street Store in Mid-April

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Harvest Coop announced Tuesday it would close its 57 South St. grocery store, saying the "trajectory of the business model has become unsustainable." The announcement — not unexpected in many quarters — comes one week after members of the coop packed a board meeting to talk about the possible closure. At that meeting, held Jan. 5, only members of the coop were allowed in to the tiny Forest Hills Street room where the meeting was held. As resident Kendra Nordin previously reported, the meeting was held in two shifts to accommodate all 60 people who showed up.

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The patio outside the Harvest Coop on South Street
Business

Whole Foods is Killing the South Street Harvest

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SECOND UPDATE: The Coop announced it will close the South Street store in mid-April. UPDATE: The Harvest Coop board has announced it has made a decision — but hasn't made that decision public yet. ~~~~~

Members of Harvest Coop packed a board meeting Monday night to talk about the possible shuttering of the communally-run grocer's South Street location. Only members of the coop were allowed in to the tiny Forest Hills Street room where the meeting was held. As resident Kendra Nordin reports, the meeting was held in two shifts to accommodate all 60 people who showed up.

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Business

Future Unclear for Harvest Coop’s South Street Location

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The lease on a popular coop grocery store is up on Feb. 28, fueling speculation on whether the location will stay open. Harvest Coop has two locations in JP — its original South Street location and a newer outpost in Forest Hills. A board of directors meeting has been set for Monday, Jan. 5, in JP.

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Business
File photo: Adam Rutstein, owner of Centre Street Sanctuary, stands beside his new outdoor patio space.

Gallery: Restaurant Patios of Jamaica Plain

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Patio season is in full swing. You might think you know every outdoor restaurant space in the neighborhood, but click through — you may find some you didn't know about. My bet for best patio some of you might've missed is the nicely designed space behind Simpli Bar & Bites in Forest Hills. Of course it's hard to make a gallery like this comprehensive. Please add any omissions in the comment section or email me at chris@jamaicaplainnews.com and I'll add a photo.

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A view across the train tracks of the Arboretum location of the Harvest Coop
Business

Harvest Coop Adds Delivery Service

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Harvest Coop has two locations in JP, but if that's not convenient enough for you, the grocer has started offering delivery. The delivery service, which is handled by Instacart, started this month, according to Chris Durkin of the member-owned grocery. "We've had requests for a couple of years," Durkin said, "but we hadn't been able to find the right service to do it." Here's how it works: You can be a member or non-member of Harvest Coop. Go to Instacart's web page and pick which store you want delivery from.

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