MILFORD – The long awaited ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Food Bank of Delaware is set to take place in January 2024.
The Food Bank of Delaware broke ground on the $34 million facility on Delaware Veterans Boulevard in September 2022 to expand food contribution and community development operations.
The new facility will replace the 16,000-square-foot building on Mattlind Way that is operating at 163% capacity. To compensate for services, the organization has been renting space for the Healthy Pantry Center and its staff in the Independence Commons Business Park.
“We cannot wait to open the doors to our new facility,” Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky told Delaware Business Times. “It is a highlight for me to see how we are changing lives each and every day. For me, it’s all about hope. We are doing so much to bring hope.”
After years of planning, the construction of the new 67,000-square-foot building by the Becker Morgan Group will support the ongoing provision of essential goods for the public. Kanefsky emphasized that the new facility symbolizes a beacon of hope and positively impacts numerous Delaware residents.
Originally, the Food Bank anticipated the facility to be completed this past fall, but supply chain issues and deliveries of materials delayed the building process.
The new facility will expand cold storage capacities by 114% for the Food Bank to accommodate the storage and distribution of over 3.7 million extra pounds of fresh foods, encompassing fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats. Dry storage capacities will expand to hold an extra 6 million pounds of non-perishable foods. The facility will also expand community services such as the Healthy Pantry Center, a volunteer services room, training programs, and an on-site cafe.
The expansion history of the Milford facility dates back to 2012 when a $2.6 million expansion project was initiated in September, doubling the facility’s size to 16,000 square feet.
