Groundbreaking Held For New Greater Chicago Food Depository Building In Archer Heights

A groundbreaking has been held for the new commercial building at 4100 W Ann Lurie Place in Archer Heights. Located just west of the intersection with S Pulaski Road, the new structure will add on to the massive warehouse and kitchen building that currently occupies the site along with demolishing the empty and cracking concrete lot next door. The project is being led and developed by the Greater Chicago Food Depository who is working with Skender to build out the new facility.

Site context plan of new Greater Chicago Food Depository kitchen facility via the Chicago Plan Commission

Site plan of new Greater Chicago Food Depository kitchen facility via the Chicago Plan Commission

Having launched in 1978, the Greater Chicago Food Depository is the first and oldest food bank in Illinois, growing to become the city’s largest with a network of over 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. The existing facilities serve more than 800,000 adults and children, distributing more than 70 million pounds of food yearly or roughly 160,000 meals a day, with 90-percent of their yearly expenditure going towards this. Now with the economy ever-changing in a post-pandemic world, the demand for their services is increasing.

Floor plan of new Greater Chicago Food Depository kitchen facility via the Chicago Plan Commission

Even prior to 2020 demand was on the rise, thus in 2019 they launched the multi-phase Nourish Project. The already complete $22 million first phase focused on upgrading the existing warehouse on the aforementioned site including expanding their cold storage, renovating the shipping areas, and volunteer spaces for the 11,000 yearly helpers. Now originally slated to start in 2020, the $53 million second phase is finally moving forward focusing on expanding their current output and capabilities for the future.

Updated kitchen rendering for the Greater Chicago Food Depository by Skender

Updated rendering for the Greater Chicago Food Depository by Skender

This will come in the form of a new 36,700 square-foot facility attached to the existing building dedicated to meal prepping. It will provide two new dock areas, a new lobby for workers and volunteers, a large open kitchen, multiple storage rooms for produce, raw food, spices, dry, and finished foods, along with a small office. The adjacent lot will be turned into a mix of parking lots and green space with parking for 224-vehicles and trucks with 231 new trees, with the remaining open areas holding an 80,000 square-foot urban farm to help lower costs and increase output.

Rendering of new Greater Chicago Food Depository kitchen facility via the Chicago Plan Commission

Site work commences on the Greater Chicago Food Depository via Skender

The new space will allow for an increase of roughly 600 prepared meals per day, adding to their network of kitchens aiming to prepare 2.5 million healthy meals per year. Projects like these, while not massive in scale in comparison to others we cover, create a massive impact on the city and all of its citizens and are necessary for creating a better future. Clayco Construction broke ground and demolished the concrete lot earlier this month, with construction expected to be completed by early 2024 and fully operational by that spring.

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