The Medford Food Co-op hopes to unveil plans for a new, larger store by the end of the year.

The Medford Site Plan and Architectural Review Commission recently approved the concept of demolishing the existing store at 945 S. Riverside Ave., and replacing it with a 9,535-square-foot building, almost doubling the size.

Celebrating 12 years in operation recently, the co-op is poised for expansion.

“During that time, sales and customer traffic have grown to the point we have outgrown this space,” said Anne Carter, co-op general manager.

The new building will be constructed in a parking area behind the existing 5,180-square-foot building, allowing it to remain open for most of the construction phase.

Once the new store is built, the existing store will be demolished and the parking area in front will be expanded. The expanded parking area would have 59 parking spaces.

The store might be closed for a month or two while demolition of the existing building gets underway and the parking area is developed.

An area behind the new building will have additional parking and a delivery area.

Carter said there are still many details to work out before the work begins, including lining up financing.

She said expansion plans have been in the works for several years.

The new store will be more rectangular in shape, allowing bigger departments and a more spacious feel.

“We will be offering a greater variety of products,” Carter said.

An existing 2,180-square-foot building near Riverside will remain, but plans are still being developed for it. The building currently houses The Cafe, which provides smoothies, sandwiches and other prepared foods.

The Cafe will be moved into the new grocery store.

Most of the customers who come to the store are from Medford, but it also attracts others from the surrounding region and Northern California, she said.

Carter said she didn’t have a timeframe for finalizing plans or when construction might start.

Armed with the city’s approval of the new store concept, the Co-op board will now be able to assess the actual costs of the project.

Further negotiations, board approval and a successful fundraising campaign will be needed before the project goes forward.

More concrete plans will be presented to the Co-op members to get their feedback.

Construction is not expected until 2025 at the earliest.

Kelly Akin, Medford assistant planning director, said the next step for the city is to issue building permits for the project, which will require having all the construction drawings in order, including the relocation of one of the driveways, as well as additional information about handling storm water.

Preliminary drawings submitted to the city show a L-shaped building with a courtyard in the front that is set back from Riverside more than the existing building.

A trellised area in front of the building will have benches for outdoor dining.

Bioswales will capture runoff with drought-tolerant plants.

JB Steel is the contractor for the project.

The co-op is a community-owned business and is run by an elected board of directors. Membership costs $100, though membership is not required to shop in the store.

Produce sold at the Co-op is mostly organic, and the store strives to provide products that are local, or come from within 100 miles of Medford.

In every department of the store, local items are clearly labeled.