Island Harvest Food Bank acquires 43,000 s/f

Melville, NY Island Harvest Food Bank, Long Island’s leading hunger-relief organization, completed the purchase of a 43,000 s/f building at 126 Spagnoli Rd., according to Randi Shubin Dresner, president & CEO. The facility, which will be the nonprofit’s headquarters, was made possible because of the support from nearly 100 donors who contributed to a capital campaign of the past several years.’

Thomas Attivissimo of Greiner-Maltz Co., Inc. acted as the buyer’s agent. Douglas Omstrom of JLL represented the seller in the transaction, which closed on January 28, 2021.

Island Harvest Food Bank’s new headquarters will have 23,000 s/f devoted to operational functions, such as warehousing and distribution, and 20,000 s/f used for administrative and program services. The additional space will enable the food bank to expand its social service-related programs, including workforce development programs, nutrition education, benefits assistance, and programs aimed at targeted populations, including older adults, children, veterans.

The new headquarters will also include a specially designated volunteer sorting section and workforce development training rooms that conform to recommended health and safety protocols. The food bank also plans to install state-of-the-art refrigeration and freezer space to increase the availability of perishable foods, such as fruit and vegetables, dairy products, and meats, to the populations it serves.  Advanced inventory control processes will be employed to control and improve the overall efficiency of goods in and out of the warehouse.

“We envision increasing services that will help provide Long Islanders faced with poverty and food insecurity with the resources necessary to lift them from uncertainty to stability,” said Shubin Dresner.

Island Harvest Food Bank’s new facility is approximately twice as much space it previously occupied at a building it had leased in Hauppauge since 2011. “By doubling the size of the warehouse and office space, Island Harvest Food Bank can efficiently store more product to deliver to Long Islanders facing food insecurity when needed and provide specialized and targeted services to people across Long Island,” said Shubin Dresner. She notes that in 2019, the regional food bank distributed more than 10 million pounds of food, personal care items, and household products to more than 300,000 residents across Nassau and Suffolk counties before the COVID-19 pandemic. Island Harvest Food Bank’s COVID-response work over the past year, the nonprofit has effectively doubled its service and support, helping more than 550,000 Long Island families who found themselves food-insecure from job losses and other economic factors created by the pandemic.

The location on the Nassau-Suffolk border helps improve operational efficiency in receiving and distributing food across both counties since it is close to all major highways, including the Long Island Expressway, the Northern State Parkway, and Rte. 110.

Island Harvest Food Bank’s new headquarters will also consolidate Island Harvest Food Bank’s administrative, executive, and program functions, currently split between Hauppauge and donated office space in Bethpage. Island Harvest Food Bank will also maintain its additional warehouse and distribution facilities in Calverton and Uniondale.

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting at Island Harvest Food Bank’s new Melville headquarters is planned for the late spring.