Food bank expansion passes county committee, but not without concerns

As long as the Northern Illinois Food Bank's expansion plans don't prove to be a lesson in striving to be too big, it'll likely have the financial support of Kane County.

A Kane County Board subcommittee approved a $140,000 pass-through of federal Community Development Block Grant dollars for the food bank Tuesday morning. However, food bank Associate Director of Development Jarrod Daab had to convince the committee his organization can actually raise the $17 million it will take to move the food bank from St. Charles to a bigger location in Geneva.

The food bank distributes its goods to food pantries and partner sites throughout a 13-county area that surrounds Cook County. The number of people needing food assistance has grown in the last decade, sparking the need for the food bank to grow as well.

The question posed by county board members thus far is how quickly the food bank can and should expand. The new facility would double the food bank's ability to distribute food within five years.

"I'm a bit uncomfortable that perhaps they're biting off more than they can chew," said county board member Don Wolfe, of Elgin. Wolfe said he's seen the board approve similar funding in the past only to see a project fail.

County staff reassured Wolfe that Community Development Block grant funds have never been given to a failed project in Kane County. Beyond that, the grant agreement requires the food bank to return the $140,000 if the expansion flops.

Daab told the committee the food bank is aggressively pursuing grants and donations to raise the money necessary to start construction next spring. The food bank has already secured a $400,000 grant from Jewel-Osco and a $180,000 grant from DuPage County. A line of credit on its existing mortgage will help keep the project on track, Daab said.

"We obviously don't want to get ourselves into a situation where we are way over our heads," Daab said.

The food bank will use the $140,000 specifically to acquire land at the Geneva Business Park. The committee inquired why they wouldn't use it for the actual construction. County staff said they'd advised the food bank that using the grant for construction would require them to pay the federal prevailing wage to construction workers, perhaps increasing the cost of the project. Using the funds for land acquisition was the recommended alternative.

The full county board is expected to vote on the matter Sept. 9.