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Second Harvest begins $95 million food bank campus near BNA
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has started work on a 200,000-square-foot campus off Donelson Pike. The facility is designed to nearly double the food bank’s cold-storage capacity and bring community services together at one site.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee broke ground Tuesday, Oct. 27, on a new distribution campus off Donelson Pike near Nashville International Airport.
The project is valued at $95 million and will occupy 23 acres. The planned 200,000-square-foot facility is expected to nearly double the food bank’s cold-storage capacity, allowing it to handle more fresh produce, meat and dairy for distribution across 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee.
The food bank has operated for years from its Metro Center headquarters, where leaders say it has been working near capacity as demand for food assistance rises. The added refrigerated space is intended to help Second Harvest recover and distribute millions more pounds of perishable food each year.
Plans also include a Neighbor Care Center, where nonprofit partners will offer families access to health resources, emergency aid and other services in one location. The center is intended to extend the campus beyond food distribution by connecting people with additional support.
Heavy site preparation is set to begin after the groundbreaking. The project’s timeline calls for the distribution center to become operational in the coming months.