BEATRICE – A local organization that has helped thousands of people who are hungry or in need of assistance, will be moving.
The Community Food Pantry, based at St. John Lutheran Church in Beatrice, will eventually move to new quarters in the lower level of the Beatrice Municipal Auditorium…space that was vacated when Beatrice Fire and Rescue moved to a new facility last fall.


City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says the Community Pantry would lease space at one-dollar annually, for a ten-year period.
"It would be where the captain's office was at, where the kitchen was at, their report room, some of their bunker gear there....that's what they're taking. They are not taking any of the apparatus bay. That is currently occupied and used by city endeavors. They're using the rest of the portion of the downstairs. We still have some offices that are available."


The pantry had outgrown its quarters in the basement of the church and was facing accessibility concerns. Coordinators will be making improvements to the auditorium space it is taking over. The organization would use a south overhead door on the southwest corner of the old fire department, for deliveries or distribution.


Terry Doyle is with the board of directors that oversees the Community Food Pantry, which has spent half of a century at the St. John’s location.
"I think this is a good improvement for our community and it's time for the pantry to do this. We spent fifty years where we're at, right now....and they've just been wonderful, wonderful landlords. But for a number of reasons, space reasons, it's on two stories...there's a whole number of reasons why it is time for us to move. We just think this is a very good opportunity."


Doyle said the organization will do its part to raise private support and will be a part of the Big Give Gage project later this year. The organization will be taking bids for the renovation work to be done with the old fire department space.


"We're thinking there would be a number of contractors who would be interested in it. We're going to ask whoever ends up bidding it, that they also consider donating time, effort, something in the construction process, if they could. So, that will determine it. I have a figure of what it is going to cost to do the plans and specs, and hire the three or four engineers we're going to need to do this right. So, I need to get that back to the board so we can talk that through."


Doyle anticipates the organization would finalize plans and specifications this fall and be ready to start the renovation in the spring of next year.
The lease of space was approved by the council, 8-0.