North Liberty Community Pantry sets opening date for new $4 million facility

NORTH LIBERTY — The North Liberty Community Pantry is set to open its new facility, located at 350 W. Penn St., on June 23.

The $4 million facility will have 4,000 square feet set aside for food storage, with a 550-square-foot walk-in refrigeration system. Around 1,000 square feet is reserved for a clothing closet, more than double its current size.

The current 2,400-square-foot pantry, at 89 N. Jones Blvd., has run out of space and has been relying on community partners like Fareway and Field Day Brewing for freezer space, Ryan Bobst, the pantry’s executive director, previously told The Gazette.

The pantry serves residents from all of Johnson County except for Coralville and Iowa City. If residents from those two cities visits the pantry, they are given prepackaged groceries and referred to food pantries in their communities.

Closure, new facility hours

To facilitate the move, the pantry will be closed June 19 and June 21.

The pantry’s operating hours will remain the same in the new facility, which is open part of the day each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. However, the donation hours will change to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

City of North Liberty support

The pantry has received $278,000 from the city of North Liberty, with $250,000 of that from federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The other $28,000 came as a grant in the city’s 2025 fiscal budget.

In addition, the pantry has raised more than $850,000 for the facility. The $4 million price tag includes the purchase of the land, construction of the building and new equipment. Other fundraising efforts are ongoing.

Grand opening event

The pantry will host a grand opening event at 4 p.m. July 14 to celebrate the new facility and the pantry’s 40th anniversary.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com

Get a weekly roundup of Johnson County news by signing up for my Johnson County Update newsletter.