Food Bank Coalition purchases land for new facility in SLO
An artist’s rendering of the new food bank facility.
The Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2014, just purchased a lot on Kendall Road in San Luis Obispo to build a new food bank.
The new location will allow them to be centrally located and more efficiently conduct operations throughout the county from a single location. The current Paso Robles location will close when the new facility is completed.
In the last 10 years, the organization has approximately doubled its size and the services it provides. Food bank CEO Carl Hansen says the growth that they anticipate in the coming years is beyond the capabilities of their current warehouses, making the recent purchase of land a vital step in their consolidation and service to the community.
The new facility, which will be designed to meet the specific needs of a food bank, is expected to be complete by mid-2016. The warehouse will include loading docks, extra storage capacity, and increased refrigeration capabilities for fresh produce. The food bank will self-develop the site, in collaboration with Specialty Construction, Oasis Associates and MW Architects.
“The opportunity for us to relocate to a central point in the county and construct a warehouse that is designed to our specific needs is a huge step forward in our growth,” says food bank Chief Operations Officer Wendy Lewis. “Weʼre excited to revamp our processes and create a new, more efficient space to better serve our community. Itʼs going to be a wonderful change for us and the community we serve.”
To continue their service to North and South counties, the food bank is planning special delivery routes and drop off locations to serve the 200 community and agency partners who work with the coalition to distribute food to those in need. Partners will have the ability to order their needed items, which could be packed and delivered to an area near them or picked up directly from the new facility.
Comments
