Atlanta Community Food Bank

Overview
• Location: Atlanta, GA
• Building type(s): Warehouse & Distribution Center; Commercial Office
• New construction
• 129,000 square feet:
• 98,000 square feet of warehouse and dock space; about 31,000 square feet of office space
• Urban setting
• Completed 2004
• Seeking LEED™ Certification

Founded in 1979, the Atlanta Community Food Bank serves impoverished Georgians by annually deploying more than 15 million pounds of food and other needed products, such as over-the-counter medicines, diapers and cleaning supplies, to the community through more than 750 partner non-profit agencies in 38 metro Atlanta and North Georgia counties.

In addition to food distribution, the Food Bank also operates seven projects, such as a free school-supply store for teachers, an educational Hunger 101 program and a Community Gardening Initiative, designed to educate and engage the community in the fight against hunger and poverty.

Building Program
• The building is more than 129,000 square feet
• 98,000 square feet of total warehouse and dock space, including:
o A climate-controlled warehouse designed to accommodate up to 2 million pounds of product;
o 4,760 square feet and 111,000 cubic feet of refrigeration space;
o 4,800 square feet of Kids In Need shopping space; and
o A 4,800 square foot Product Rescue Center.
• This facility has nearly the same square footage of the old facility, but it has gained height, allowing for nearly triple its current distribution capacity in 10-12 years
o Rack space jumping from 1,415 spaces to 1,804 spaces
o Future capacity is 2,224 rack spaces to accommodate up to 2 million pounds of product
• Six receiving docks and four covered loading docks.
• About 31,000 square feet of office space, including:
o Multiple conference rooms throughout the building that can host more than 300 individuals
o Conference rooms are available to the community
• A fully equipped industrial demonstration kitchen, featuring an industrial cooler and freezer, a blast chiller, refrigerator, stoves, ovens and a dishwasher to prepare meals and host special community events
• Modern audio/visual technologies

Team & Process
The need for the Food Bank's services has never been greater. Operations have grown more than 30% during the last two years, and demand continues to increase. Formerly operating from up to three rented warehouses retrofitted to accommodate its needs, the 25-year-old Food Bank could no longer function efficiently.

The new building is constructed of concrete tilt-up walls. It is mechanically-ventilated and gas-heated, and includes kitchen, shopping, showering, office, and warehouse space for the staff of 30 and the thousands of volunteers that will pass through the building.
The Food Bank partnered with GlenCastle Constructors Inc., a unique consortium established in the early 1990s to provide planning, design and development for handpicked nonprofit organizations. In addition to overseeing all design and construction aspects of the project, GlenCastle also provided pro bono project management and tapped into its network of subcontractors and suppliers to obtain some materials and labor via donation or at cost. Nonprofits working with GlenCastle typically realize a 25%-30% cost savings on overall project expenses

Members of the GlenCastle Consortium
• Batson-Cook Co.
• Beers/Skansa
• Cooper Carry
• Flagler Inc.
• Hardin Construction Group
• Holder Construction Co.
• Humphries & Co.
• John W. Rooker & Associates Inc.
• Malone Construction Co.
• The Pinkerton & Laws Co.
• H.J. Russell & Co.
• Winter Construction Co.

Primary Design Team Members:
Sean McLendon
Architect
Cooper Carry
Chris Hector
Structural Engineer
Uzun & Case Engineers
Dana Flowers, P.E.
HVAC Engineer
Shumate Mechanical
John Norton
Civil Engineer
Engineering & Inspection Systems, Inc.
Matt Hayden
Landscape Architect
Pro Landscapes
Gerald Walker
General Contractor
John W Rooker
Christy Etter
Commissioning Agent
CH2MHill
Richard Hicks
Electrical Engineer
Luca Electric
Robert Culver
Plumbing Engineer
K+K Mechanical Contractors
Environmental & Energy Consulting
Southface Energy Institute
Rob Johnson
Project Manager
Atlanta Community Food Bank
Finance & Cost

Food Bank leaders announced in 2002 that the organization would embark on its inaugural capital campaign with a goal of $11.1 million to finance:
• Land acquisition;
• Construction of a new facility;
• Furnishings and equipment; and
• The establishment of an endowment fund.

Funds were raised through donors, including private residents, foundations, corporations and civic organizations.

Site Description
The Food Bank's new facility is located at 732 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd. in Atlanta's West Side neighborhood. The West Side is Atlanta’s original industrial corridor, but more recently, developers have begun to recognize its potential to host large swaths of mixed-
use projects on in-town property. The building’s urban location also means that it is within a ¼ mile of two MARTA bus lines.
The building footprint, which will extend over a large portion of the site, is 120,300 square feet. The new building is adjacent to the organization's Jefferson Street warehouse, its home of nearly 20 years, and is on the site of a former rented warehouse that housed the Food Bank's Product Rescue Center and Kids In Need projects. That building was demolished in the fall and winter of 2003-2004 to make way for the new facility.
Design Features and LEED™

“As an organization, we believe it's important to look far into the future to ensure a viable organization," Bolling says. "Pursuing LEED™ certification has provided us with benchmarks that ensure we're protecting the community that has welcomed us as a neighbor for so many years. Besides being the right thing to do, it will help us continue to pinch pennies and ensure our funds are going to the right place - back into the community through increasing food distribution and dynamic community-building projects.

The Foodbank features several energy efficiency measures to achieve this goal:
- Efficient lighting (compact fluorescents) that is 30% better than code
- Hot and cold deck resets
- An Energy Star white reflective roof
- Highly efficient cooling equipment
- High-performance windows and glass to decrease heat gain from the sun
- A 3-foot shade awning on the south-facing windows

From recycling 75 percent of construction waste and incorporating high-efficiency heating and air conditioning equipment to using a white reflective roof that cuts energy costs and waterless urinals that conserve resources, the building is designed for long-term efficiency that creates a healthy environment for its nearly 70 employees and more than 15,000 annual volunteers. The Food Bank has also pursued a rigorous Commuter Efficiency Program to reduce environmental impacts from single-occupancy vehicles.

The Food Bank recognizes how far they have come, and that they have not done it alone. "This building was 25 years in the making," Bolling says. "We started as a small food-distribution program in the basement of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta, and we've risen to become a regional and national leader in providing food to those who need it. This building isn't ours. It belongs to the community who helped us get where we are today - and who will continue to help us accomplish our goals tomorrow."