The walls are now in place for the warehouse at the Great Plains Food Bank’s new statewide distribution center, marking a major construction milestone on a facility designed to strengthen the organization’s ability to provide food to communities across North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota.
The final warehouse wall panels were installed this week at the 70,500-square-foot facility, giving the future home of the Great Plains Food Bank its first major structural shape. The milestone comes as construction continues on the facility, which is expected to be completed in summer 2027, with a grand opening planned for fall 2027.
The new facility’s impact will extend across the state. The Great Plains Food Bank distributes food through a network of over 200 community partners in more than 100 communities, including food pantries, shelters, meal sites, and other organizations that help ensure food reaches neighbors where they live.
“This is an exciting moment for the Great Plains Food Bank and the communities we serve,” said Great Plains Food Bank CEO Ann Prifrel. “Seeing these walls go up makes the vision of this new distribution center feel very real and gives us great hope for stronger, healthier communities across our state. This building will allow us to do more for our neighbors experiencing hunger and strengthen our ability to respond to the growing need we’re seeing across our region.”
The new facility is part of Great Plains Food Bank’s Harvesting Hope Campaign, a $30.5 million effort to build a stronger, more efficient hunger-relief system for communities across the region. Once complete, the facility will increase storage capacity, expand volunteer opportunities, and help Great Plains Food Bank work toward distributing more nutritious food to more individuals across the region, more frequently.
For communities across North Dakota, that increased capacity means a stronger food supply chain and greater ability to respond when the need for food assistance grows. The new building will serve as a critical hub for moving food from growers, food suppliers, and food donors across the state.
The project comes at a critical time as hunger continues to impact communities across North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota. Over the past fiscal year, a record 186,366 individuals turned to the Great Plains Food Bank and its partner network for food assistance — a 16% increase from the previous fiscal year.
“As the need for food assistance continues to grow, we need to grow our response,” Prifrel said. “This facility is an investment in the future of hunger relief. We are incredibly grateful to the individuals, businesses, foundations, and community partners who have invested in these efforts that will support our neighbors experiencing hunger. With 75% of the project now funded, we’re asking our communities across the state to help us get this project across the finish line. Every gift brings us one step closer to opening this facility and expanding our ability to get more food to more people, more efficiently.”
While construction is moving forward, the Harvesting Hope Campaign is still underway. Community members, businesses, and organizations are invited to help make the new facility a reality by supporting the campaign. To learn more about the Harvesting Hope Campaign or make a contribution, visit GreatPlainsFoodBank.org/HarvestingHope.