Second Harvest to move Grand Rapids food shelf to new location in fall

GRAND RAPIDS — Second Harvest Northland plans to move its Grand Rapids food shelf to a new location downtown later this fall.

The former ServiceMaster Restore building on the corner of Northeast Third Street and Northeast Third Avenue is closer to the city center and other services and more walkable than the current location off Highway 2 in LaPrairie, the nonprofit said Monday, July 6, in a news release.

"We're excited about our new facility and this location," said Shaye Moris, Second Harvest Northland president/CEO, in the release. " ... This new location is in direct response to what we learned from our Grand Rapids area neighbors."

Second Harvest began gathering feedback from visitors on a new location during summer 2025 after it closed its food bank in LaPrairie and consolidated its distribution operations to one location in Duluth. The Grand Rapids food shelf shared a building with the food bank and continues to operate in that location.

According to the nonprofit, the Grand Rapids food shelf is one of the largest in the region, supporting an average of 2,800 people per month.

The new location, like the current one, will offer in-store shopping, and Second Harvest said it also plans to implement new service models that will reduce wait times and expand partnerships with other organizations.

The nonprofit said it hopes to begin renovating the new food shelf location this month with plans to open later this fall.

"We are committed to ensuring no 'gaps in services' during our transition between our two facilities," Moris stated in an email response to questions.

Second Harvest has entered into a contract to sell its LaPrairie facility. Moris said the contract doesn't allow disclosure of additional details about the buyer.

A cannabis manufacturing, cultivation and retail operation has received a permit from the city of LaPrairie. The business's general manager, Adam Nelson, said in late June that there is a purchase agreement with Second Harvest, and the transfer of the property is moving forward.

Second Harvest Northland is the region's only food bank operator, distributing food to food shelves and meal programs throughout 15 counties in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. The nonprofit also operates a food shelf in Duluth and mobile food pantry and BackPack programs.

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