Community Kitchen of Monroe County plans to build a new Express store at 1100 West 11th Street. This means demolishing the current building to make way for a new one. On Thursday at 2:30 p.m., the agency will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to begin the project, which is expected to begin by May.
The nonprofit soup kitchen's main location is 1515 S. Rogers St. In July 2001, they leased a building from Bloomington Township and opened the 11th Street site as Community Kitchen Express. Since 2021, Community Kitchen has owned the Express Building in the Crestmont community.
Community Kitchen Executive Director Vicki Pearce said the new buildings will not be located on the same site on a small lot.
“It's very old and very used,” Pearce said of the current structure. “That's not an efficient use of space. … A small lot limits what you can do with that space.”
Contractor Strauser Construction will construct the one-story replacement facility. The company also served as a contractor when Community Kitchen rebuilt his 2011 South Rogers Street store.
The new structure will provide more options for serving people into the future, Pearce said. The design ties in with both the South Rogers Street location, which used similar brick, lettering, and awnings, and the agency's Food His Truck, which featured murals on both sides resembling the Food His Truck.
The groundbreaking ceremony marks the launch of the agency's “Invest in Express'' fundraising campaign. The goal is to raise $150,000 to support the capital and operating costs of the Express site.
Meals will continue to be served at Express stores during construction.
Even if the Express building is demolished and rebuilt, Pierce said the agency will continue to serve meals in the neighborhood. Meals consist of a main dish, side, fruit, and drink.
“We are in discussions with the people of Crestmont,” Pearce said, adding that a community kitchen may temporarily use community buildings to serve meals. “Our preference is to stay open forever.”
Express locations offer grab-and-go meals to those in need of nutritious meals and are currently open Monday through Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. Meals are prepared at the South Rogers Street facility and delivered to the Express facility, which is staffed by one staff member and one volunteer each day.
“Our goal is to get food to people as quickly as possible,” Pearce explained.
In 2023, community kitchens served 325,446 meals to 4,957 unduplicated people. In 2023, he served nearly 40,000 meals at Express locations.
Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com.
