Buildings came down, and the store's very existence was threatened. A private developer bought a 47 acre tract for homes and a 14 store shopping center. The Hyde Park Co-op opened for business in October 1959 in its present 45,000 square foot supermarket. When it opened, it was the largest supermarket in Chicago with 22,000 square feet of retail space. But the Co-op is far more than successful business.
Members represent all races, creeds, educational and cultural backgrounds.
The Hyde Park Co-op is an important part of that setting. Environmental awareness and nutrition education are among the priorities of the Co-op. Not surprisingly, significant emphasis has been placed on cooperative education in the history of the Hyde Park Co-op. The Co-op's monthly publication, the Evergreen which was first published in 1934, provides a forum for consumer and cooperative education. But the differences work themselves out and end up with progress.