DURANGO, Colo. - Back in the early ‘90s, when Sherri Watson made the rounds searching for financing for her fledgling natural foods store, the lenders in town treated her like an uninformed little girl. No one seemed to grasp her vision for Nature’s Oasis.

Today, nearly 15 years later, as the wildly successful Nature’s O (as it’s known to its passionate patrons) launches construction on a new, nearly 21,000 square foot facility, a few bankers must be kicking themselves for missing out on support of what has emerged as one of Durango’s homegrown gems.

“They all thought I was sort of a crazy person for a while, that I didn’t know what I was doing,” said Watson of those early days. “We’re really fortunate that the community is so supportive. We wouldn’t be in this position after all these years. People have been really loyal. I see customers in here who have been coming for the 15 years. It’s the customers who have made this work.”

And it has worked – and grown – so much so that five years ago Watson and her husband (police officer-turned-business partner) Jeff, began looking for expansion opportunities. Buying the existing building was not an option, nor was leasing the desired space now occupied by RiteAid. As appropriate real estate for an operation the size of Nature’s O was diminishing in Downtown Durango, the Watsons “crossed the bridge” and purchased the 1.6 acre parcel out by Bodo Industrial Park.

“Years ago people wouldn’t go that far,” said Sherri, who first arrived in Durango in 1979 to attend Fort Lewis College. “Once the hospital moved out to Grandview, I realized – look at all those people driving by there now. But we still tried to get as close as we could to the existing location.”

If all goes as planned, by the end of September 2008, Nature’s O will open its doors at the intersection of Hwy 550/160 and the frontage road(at the traffic signal), just northwest of Handlebar Cycles. Coming along are The Wine Merchant, Sunnyside Meats and Serious Delights bakery, all of which will lease space in the building. The Wine Merchant will have a separate entrance to accommodate Colorado’s liquor laws.

“And the good news is that our parking will be double what it is here,” said Watson, alluding to the current complexities that often force patrons  to cross Camino del Rio. “Plus we’re going to bring the bike path (from the Animas River Trail) right up to the store.”

In addition to her passion for providing the community with an outlet for healthy food and vitamin supplements, Watson has long been concerned about the environment. Her grandmother was instrumental in the passage of the Clean Air Act in the ‘60s, so Watson feels it’s in her blood.

I’m very concerned about Global Warming, and I want this (new building) to have as small of a carbon footprint as possible,” she said, noting that they hired LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified consultants Jeremy Rivera and Michele Reott. Because of the cost (LEED currently has no sliding cost scale for smaller buildings) and potential time delays if involved in the LEED certification process, Nature’s O will not be officially LEED certified. It will, however, be constructed following the LEED checklist, qualifying for at minimum a Silver rating.

“We are building the most energy efficient shell that you can build,” said Watson. “And we’re using all local material.”

Key in the building design is inclusion of numerous large skylights, above both the retail area and in the warehouse, which will reduce the need for artificial lighting. To further minimize energy usage, Nature’s O will also reclaim heat generated by the refrigerated coolers to warm the store, and bring in naturally cooled air to chill the walk-in coolers.

The building will be designed to support solar panels, which may not be installed until 2009, depending on the final construction costs. At this juncture, the entire project has a roughly $6 million price tag.

“We’re trying to not put too much money into the building,” said Watson. “We want to make it the most energy efficient building we can build, but that’s not going to mean that we’ll have to raise prices. We’re going to keep prices down.”

The new Nature’s O will be laid out in similar fashion to the existing store – only with expanded space for all departments and more check-out stands to accommodate a greater traffic flow.

The deli will also “grow” and incorporate more “express” options, or “grab-and-go” items, for those with a time-crunch. Possibilities include a self-serve soup bar or “warm” food option. A dining area, with similar configuration to the current store, is planned, only larger, and include an outdoor option.

“We’re going to have a trellis with grapevines or wisteria,” said Watson of the open air dining area. “It’s south-facing, so hopefully usable through the end of October.”

Watson welcomes the addition of Sunnyside Meats, which will provide its fresh (and often local) meats and seafood, an option not currently available at Nature’s O. The expanded produce section will also allow for more locally grown items. Serious Delights is known for its delectible desserts served in many restaurants around town. And fresh flowers will be available as well. Add a bottle of wine from The Wine Merchant, and Nature’s Oasis will be a one-stop shop.

“We hope it will be a destination for shopping, but it’s also going to be a very nice marriage of people who care about the community,” said Watson of the partnerships.

Though it is months away, Watson is already concerned about “making the move,” and she hopes it will be a smooth transition from old store to new, with minimal impact on customers.

During an interview back in late 2002, Jeff Watson had confided, “Repeatedly through the history, we’ve reached goals that I thought we would never be able to obtain.”

And today, five years later, yet another one is in sight.

 indiana@durangodowntown.com

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