Construction is underway on a new commissary kitchen for the Buffalo (New York) school district.
WGRZ-TV reports that the 61,000-square foot facility is being built across the street from the district's existing food production site and is expected to open in spring 2027. It will have a large production kitchen, a community room and a test kitchen to train new staff.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Lou Petrucci, chief operating officer for Buffalo Public Schools. “With a good community project, we'll be able to better deliver the 27,000 meals we prepare every day.”
The project has been in discussion for more than a decade. Petrucci says the new facility will support farm-to-table operations and give the district the space to accept more New York state-grown products. The commissary is expected to cost $44 million.
The upgraded commissary will be about 18,000 square feet larger than the existing one. Plans include a training kitchen, multipurpose community room, and modern cook-and-chill technology. Officials also highlighted the improved ingress and egress design that will enable trucks to move in and out of the site more efficiently and safely.
The architect is Kideney Architects, and the construction manager is Buffalo Construction Consultants.
