Port food pantry to buy former Aurora clinic

PORT WASHINGTON - The Food Pantry Inc. in Port Washington will purchase the former Aurora Medical Clinic on Highway 33 on Port’s far west side on Oct. 16 for its new home.

That news, announced to volunteers at the pantry Tuesday by Steven Hansen, chairman of the pantry’s building committee, was met with applause.

“This will be wonderful,” one woman said, while another added, “The location will be great.”

Hansen said the clinic building, which is set on a 4.3-acre parcel, was among 12 sites considered by the pantry for its new home, and one of about nine that were serious contenders. He declined to reveal the purchase price.

“The goal was to get out of the basement,” he said. “We need more space. We can barely contain what we have now.”

The Aurora building is “16,000 square feet and not one stair on the place,” Hansen said.

The pantry needs a space that’s more accessible, he added, and one with plenty of parking.

The clinic building has about 100 parking spaces.

“On any given day we could have 40 volunteers here,” he noted, in addition to clients.

The clinic building checks all the boxes, Hansen said. 

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done” before the pantry moves, Hansen told the volunteers.

Pantry officials are working with the same architect and builder initially expected to help construct a new pantry building, he said, adding they will be meeting next week to get concrete numbers for the renovation. 

The Port Food Pantry was originally planned to construct a new building on a portion of the land owned by St. John XXIII Parish at its St. Peter of Alcantara property, where the pantry is now located.

But that fell through due to unexpected costs for utilities, sending the pantry board to seek another site.

Hansen said the pantry board is also looking for help from contractors and is talking to the county chapter of Habitat for Humanity about the project as well.

Renovations of the former clinic are likely to be extensive, he said, adding, “We have to gut half of it.”

Many of the exam rooms need to be removed, he said, noting every room has a sink and plumbing.

On the other hand, Hansen said, “The construction is pretty straightforward.”

Because there’s a lot of work to be done, Hansen said, the pantry may take a phased approach to renovations.

“We would like to be moved in by spring,” he said.

Plans call for the pantry to only use about half of the building, Hansen said, noting that would include space for a professional kitchen where nutrition education and cooking classes can take place as well as some flexible spaces.

“Eight thousand square feet should take care of our needs for many years,” he said.

“We’re trying to figure out what to do with (the other) 8,000 square feet,” he said, adding board members have a number of ideas, including the potential of leasing it out so the rent can go toward the mortgage or utility bills.

Several people in the group suggested the pantry consider using the other half for a senior center, a use once considered by the City of Port.

However, Mayor Ted Neitzke announced in June that the city would not move ahead with the purchase of the clinic for a senior center and community center.

The Food Pantry, which is supported by 18 parishes and congregations throughout Ozaukee County and the community at large, has been operating from a 3,000-square-foot space in the basement of the rectory at St. Peter of Alcantara Catholic Church since it began more than 40 years ago.

Hansen noted that the pantry serves about 500 clients a month and has been taking in and distributing about 17,000 pounds of food in that time.

“That’s a lot of food to be moving in and out of here each month,” he said.

And the numbers aren’t going down, he said, noting that demand increased 20% during each of the last two years and this year has increased 30%.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Hansen said. “We’re not the only ones feeling this. Ozaukee Food Alliance (in Saukville) is feeling the same thing. Family Sharing (in Grafton) is seeing the same thing.”