GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Work is underway on a Food Innovation Center, previously called an urban barn, on Green Bay’s southeast side.
The Food Innovation Center is part of a 26-acre neighborhood project between the Kroc Center and Walmart, that JBS Foods donated to the city during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Food Innovation Center will include food processing equipment and storage, aimed at opening new revenue streams for small to midsize farmers, while extending the growing season and access to local food.
Once complete, the food center will feature a pack wash station, food processing space, roof-mounted solar panels, two family restrooms, and a covered patio adjacent to a new playground.
The $1.6 million project is supported in part by a $468,900 state grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration and a $300,000 commitment from the Oneida Nation.
Project leaders say retailers you see at farmers markets are expected to utilize the facility.
“Especially small-scale farmers, they’ve been lacking the infrastructure and the equipment and resources to actually scale their businesses,” said Tara Yang, Wello Agricultural Business Development Strategist.
The overall neighborhood project will also include a variety of housing and a destination playground.
Work began on 95 workforce apartments in the neighborhood last year.
