Vancouver Food Bank launches campaign to buy $15M permanent home | Daily Hive

Greater Vancouver Food Bank launches campaign to buy $15-million permanent home

Greater Vancouver Food Bank facility at 3454 Lougheed Highway, Vancouver. (Greater Vancouver Food Bank)

Instead of having to pay growing rents and property taxes, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) is now looking to buy a facility for its new permanent home.

At the start of this spring, GVFB launched its largest fundraising campaign ever to buy its current East Vancouver facility at 3454 Lougheed Hwy.

It is located just northeast of SkyTrain’s Rupert Station, immediately west of the Mercedes-Benz Boundary car dealership, and immediately south of BC Housing’s future Skeena Terrace redevelopment with nearly 2,000 new affordable homes.

It will cost $15 million to buy the property, with the food bank hoping to raise $2.5 million from the general public through its new fundraising campaign, and the remainder coming from large donors.

The food bank will have an opportunity to buy this property in July 2025.

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According to BC Assessment, as of July 2024, the 39,825 sq. ft. lot — featuring a surface vehicle parking lot and a one-storey, 12,420 sq. ft. warehouse building — is assessed for $15.32 million, with $15.305 million coming from the land value and $16,000 coming from the structure value.

The food bank moved into this 1970-built location in October 2023, which was previously used as an auto body supplies shop.

Greater Vancouver Food Bank 3454 Lougheed Highway Vancouver

Greater Vancouver Food Bank facility at 3454 Lougheed Highway, Vancouver. (Greater Vancouver Food Bank)

Greater Vancouver Food Bank facility at 3454 Lougheed Highway, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

There are high initial costs to implement such a strategy, but the food bank expects this will be recouped over time, and enable it to better focus its resources on its food donation programs.

According to the charity, this will not only reduce its costs of paying multiple location leases and eliminate property tax payments as the building owner, but it will also provide the organization with stability by ending the continuous search for their next locations once every few years.

“We envision a future where food banks are no longer needed. But until then, we need resilient food systems to meet the growing need,” said David Long, CEO of the GVFB, in a statement.

“The opportunity to buy this building represents more than a permanent home for our services. It is a strategic step towards a future where food banks provide not just food — but solutions to the root of food waste and food insecurity that are so prominent in our communities.”

This facility on Lougheed Highway features over 19,000 cu. ft. of refrigeration and over 7,000 cu. ft. of freezer space, which ensures proper storage for fresh, health food. This supports the food bank’s model since 2019 of providing more fresh, nutritious food, instead of the traditional reliance on processed foods.

Greater Vancouver Food Bank facility at 3454 Lougheed Highway, Vancouver. (Greater Vancouver Food Bank)

Beyond capacity, this space allows the operations to be under the same roof for distribution, effectively improving efficiency. It is also deemed to be a safer and more welcoming and comfortable space for the people the food bank helps, and could aid in the retention of staff and volunteers. There is also some office space for the food bank’s partners.

Additionally, the location will reduce travel time, fuel use, and the wear and tear on the food bank’s refrigerated trucks.

The food bank has seen demand for its services skyrocket in recent years—initially driven by worsening housing affordability and rising living costs, followed by the pandemic, and then pandemic-induced inflation of goods and everyday essentials. With worsening economic headwinds and the looming impact of U.S. global tariffs, demand for such services is expected to continue growing.

Currently, GVFB’s headquarters office and warehouse are located at 8345 Winston St., situated near SkyTrain’s Production Way-University Station in Burnaby. It moved to this location, owned by developer Beedie, in 2019, when it had to vacate its longtime leased location of 1150 Raymur Ave. in the Strathcona area of East Vancouver. It previously closed its temporary distribution locations of 295 Terminal Ave. in the False Creek Flats of Vancouver, and 613 Queens Ave. in New Westminster.

Greater Vancouver Food Bank facility at 3454 Lougheed Highway, Vancouver. (Greater Vancouver Food Bank)

Over the long term, this property acquisition could also generate more value for the charity.

Under the City of Vancouver’s proposed Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, this particular Lougheed Highway site could see allowances of up to a 426 ft. tall or 30-storey building with a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is up to 5.5 times larger than the size of the lot.

Only the non-residential uses of industrial, institutional, office, cultural, retail/service, and recreational (fitness gym) would be permitted for this site.

Vancouver City Council is expected to review and approve the final iteration of the area plan in Summer 2025.

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