City of Detroit Lakes will give Becker County Food Pantry $250,000 to Help with Building Relocation Project

DETROIT LAKES (KDLM) – The City of Detroit Lakes will give the Becker County Food Pantry $250,000 to help the Pantry relocate.

The Becker County Food Pantry has been exploring the possibilities of relocating citing space limitations, the age of their current building and safety concerns of the Pantry, located near the Kent Freeman Arena and owned by the city of Detroit Lakes.

On Tuesday, the City of Detroit Lakes approved a contribution of $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help with the building project. Becker County has also agreed to give $250,000 and representatives from the Pantry have indicated they’ve raised an additional $200,000 privately to help with the project.

Detroit Lakes Mayor Matt Brenk says the new building has become a necessity, “It’s pretty exciting, right now they’re in a building down by the fairgrounds, it’s really inadequate so this new building will allow them to serve the people that need to use it.”

Brenk believes construction could begin as early as this summer on Terry Street in Detroit Lakes. “The Development Authority is in the process of acquiring some additional land from the Cleveland family and we think that’s the site where the building will go.”

The Food Pantry estimates the cost of the facility will be around $750,000 and be about twice the size of the existing Pantry with more than double the current freezer and refrigeration space.