FARGO - Prairie Roots Food Cooperative has been searching for a home for several years and now it has one.

The co-op, which has about 830 members, announced Wednesday it plans to open a grocery store by some time late next year at 1213 NP Ave. in downtown Fargo, currently home to Mathison's print shop.

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Mathison's will move to a new location to make room for the co-op.

Prairie Roots officials made the announcement about the new store during a well-attended 1 Million Cups event at the Stage at Island Park.

The Mathison's building was recently purchased by Kilbourne Group, a real estate development firm owned by Doug Burgum. The co-op will lease the space from Kilbourne Group.

Prairie Roots Food Cooperative is a member-owned and operated co-op whose stated purpose is to establish and operate a full-service, retail grocery store in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Now that's going to happen, said Cheryl Biller, a co-op member and a member of its board of directors.

Biller said the store will feature natural, organic and local foods as well as a bakery, a deli and cafe seating.

Co-op leaders said they are launching a capital campaign with the goal of raising about $1.1 million, which would come from grants, member-owner loans and the sale of preferred stock.

Burgum's family pledged a $100,000 gift to match loans and gifts made to the co-op by Dec. 31.

So far, the co-op has secured about $200,000 toward its fundraising goal, an amount Biller said does not yet include the Burgum gift.

Burgum said the Prairie Roots grocery store will be a great addition to the area's food market and a good fit with other developments in that area of downtown, including new apartment housing now nearing completion.

"It's going to be a transformational neighborhood," said Burgum, who added that while the co-op will use much of the former Mathison's building, which will be renovated to meet the grocery store's needs, there may be space on the second floor that could be available for another tenant.

He said a historic wooden structure on the back side of the building is being considered for renovation and could one day be home to a separate enterprise.

Mathison's is moving to a commercial building at 3911 37th Ave. S.

The new location will be smaller and allow for better showroom space for Mathison's printing equipment, said Joe Anstett, president of Mathison's.

Prairie Roots officials said the cost of becoming a Prairie Roots member/owner requires a one-time fee of $300.

The co-op hopes to open its new store by late 2016. Between now and then, organizers said they'd like to see membership rise to about 1,500.

"We need your investment to make it happen," said Kaye Kirsch, membership and development director for the co-op.

For more about Prairie Roots, visit: www.prairie-roots.coop.