Capital Area Food Bank

Washington, DC — It’s no secret that hunger is on the rise, especially in urban areas, where problems of food and health are exacerbated by struggling economies, infrastructure, and public oversight. According to Washington, DC’s Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), which serves more than 478,100 hungry people in the DC metropolitan area, of the 700 agencies with which CAFB partners, many have seen increases in people served upwards of 200 percent since 2008.

By 2009, fueled by increased need for food and other basic needs following the economic downturn, it became clear to the CAFB that its old facilities could no longer handle increased demand. It worked with Jair Lynch Development Partners to seek out a new property and targeted a site with a 26,630-square-foot office building on a nine-acre brownfield site, just a half mile from CAFB’s former location. This would be enough room to renovate the existing building and construct an approximately 96,000-square-foot warehouse, effectively doubling CAFB’s capacity, meaning more room for more food, and more people getting fed.

Epstein, a Chicago-based architecture firm, designed the $37 million project, and general contractor Turner Construction Company broke ground in early 2011, wrapping up the project by the end of 2012. The new facility is targeting LEED Silver certification under New Construction, with primary points culled from its development of a large infill property and the property’s immediate proximity to the Fort Totten Metro Station, which serves three major public transit lines.

“Over the coming years, the additional room, including significant increases in freezer and cooler space, will allow the food bank to store and distribute significantly more food for high-quality, nutritious meals,” says Hilary Salmon, chief of staff for the CAFB. “The new building also allows the food bank to host on-site trainings and nutrition education classes for its nonprofit partners.”

With the additional space at the distribution center and a volunteer flow upwards of 18,000 annually, increased distribution and training courses serve not only to feed the community but also to help it grow.