The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama has broken ground on a new facility that will increase its food storage capacity, as well as increasing volunteer and staff spaces.
Founded in 1982, the food bank moved into its current facility on Walter Davis Drive in Birmingham in 2003, but its current space has limited parking and logistics capacity and inadequate food storage capacity, according to the organization. The current facility is located on 9.78 acres and has 72,353 square feet of building space. Its current freezer/cooler space is 7,454 square feet. In addition, Community Food Bank currently is storing product at two offsite facilities.
In 2023, Community Food Bank launched its Building Hope Capital Campaign. In 2024, it purchased 17.13 acres in Bessemer for its new facility, which is approximately eight miles from its current location.
The new facility will provide expanded refrigeration and freezer capacity, as well as more space for parking and large truck deliveries. This facility will have separate loading areas for inbound and outbound materials and 12 bays — two drive-up bays, eight dock levelers and two dock height doors.
The new facility will be 105,350 square feet with 13,395 square feet for freezer/cooler capacity. In addition, the new building will feature a modernized design and provide 22,400 square feet of space for administrative offices and 5,956 square feet of space for volunteers.
