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Polk County commissioners to consider letter supporting Dallas Food Bank’s $2.1 million facility plan
Summary
Dallas Food Bank asked the Polk County Board of Commissioners for a letter of support for a Community Development Block Grant pre-application due Aug. 30. The food bank plans to buy land and build a 3,000-square-foot facility with an estimated $2.1 million cost; the board took the request under consideration.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday took under consideration a request from Dallas Food Bank for a letter of support for a federal Community Development Block Grant pre-application due Aug. 30.
Eileen DeChico, secretary of the Dallas Emergency Food Corporation board of directors, told the commissioners the Dallas Food Bank has outgrown its leased 1,800-square-foot space in the Main Street Plaza and is negotiating to buy a parcel at 565 La Creole Drive to build a new facility. "We are seeking a letter of support from the board of commissioners," DeChico said.
DeChico said the city of Dallas agreed to apply for a $1,500,000 CDBG grant on the food bank’s behalf and Polk Community Development Corporation is preparing the grant materials. She gave a preliminary estimate of roughly $2,100,000 to construct a 3,000-square-foot stick-built building; she said a 2,500-square-foot option is estimated at about $1.96 million and that modular estimates were pending. "It's called Davis Bacon," she said when commissioners asked about why the per-square-foot cost was high, referencing prevailing-wage requirements.
DeChico described the planned facility as including a receiving area for deliveries, storage for fresh and frozen foods, a shopping area to accommodate two-way cart traffic, ADA restrooms, a small office and a client waiting area. She said Dallas Food Bank served about 520 family visits a month and last year served more than 1,500 unique households comprising about 4,882 individuals; the organization expects to serve at least 5,000 individuals this year.
She told the commissioners the food bank’s current lease expires at the end of the year and that the landlord has not yet provided terms for renewal. DeChico said the food bank plans to purchase the proposed lot using its own funds and that securing the land would strengthen its CDBG application.
Commissioners asked questions about cost comparisons with a larger regional project and about local food-bank capacity; DeChico listed other local providers from memory and said Marion Polk Food Share supplies food to the network and offers reduced purchase pricing.
The board did not vote on the request; a presiding official said, "Okay. We'll take it under consideration," and no formal action was recorded on the letter request. Earlier in the meeting the board approved the agenda, approved minutes from Aug. 13 and approved the consent calendar by voice vote.
The Dallas Food Bank said it has a letter of commitment from the Dallas Community Foundation and plans to seek support from congressional offices; it asked the county to include a support letter in its pre-application materials.
