The Farm Fresh RI Food Hub is a 60,000 sq ft building — half of which will be occupied by Farm Fresh RI programs and operations, including a year-round farmers market. Remaining space will be leased to food and farm businesses. Completion: Fall 2020
We are very happy to share with you our second Farm Fresh RI Food Hub Construction Update, which continues on from the successful completion of our initial site work — including the installation of 800 aggregate piers, detailed in our November Update.
In this installment, we share with you the foundation work that has been completed. Our continuing thanks and appreciation for your support!

Our foundation and footing work began with the excavation of a trench around the entire perimeter of the building, which amounts to about 1000 linear feet of trenching. This was followed by the installation of wooden formwork, into which concrete would eventually be poured.

Within that formwork, reinforcing bar was also installed. Known as rebar, this is steel bar that reinforces the concrete and provides structural strength.

Within the perimeter and also in the interior, there are larger blocks of formwork, indicating the location of the footings that will provide support for columns — shown here by the protruding rebar.

Concrete is poured into the spaces inside the formwork. This stretch along the front of the building on Kinsley Avenue is ready for a pour.

And… here it comes!

As you can see here, excavation has been completed for a footing and rebar has been installed. The interior of the building contains over 50 footings!

Workers set up wooden forms around the footings before pouring in the concrete.

Looking northeast, here is an expanse of completed footings. The four protrusions in the center of each footing are anchor bolts attached to a leveling plate. Columns will very shortly be attached at this point on each footing.

While the foundation and footing work was underway, a simultaneous effort was focused on installing those plumbing, electrical, and sanitary elements that need to be below grade.

The below-grade installations include roof drains, waste lines and clean-outs, sanitary stacks, and electrical sleeves.

This underground infrastructure also includes a grease trap, which will intercept greases and solids before they enter the wastewater system.

A 150-foot long retaining wall went in between our property and our abutter, where there is a significant grade change.

And finally for a sneak preview of a coming attraction… steel! Steel erection commenced the week of December 9 and will be the subject of our next update.
Stay tuned! In the meantime, learn more about The Farm Fresh RI Food Hub. And feel free to send questions to hub@farmfreshri.org.
THANKS TO OUR INDIVIDUAL DONORS & ALL OUR FUNDERS
Public Sector
State of Rhode Island, Governor Gina Raimondo
City of Providence, Mayor Jorge Elorza
Providence Business Loan Fund
Providence City Council, President Sabina Matos
Providence Redevelopment Agency
Rhode Island Commerce
RI Department of Environmental Management
RI Department of Transportation
RI Housing
Foundation, Corporate & Nonprofit
Bauta Family Fund
Blue Hub Capital
The Champlin Foundation
Dan Levinson RI Fund
Entelco Foundation
The Henry P. Kendall Foundation
October Hill Foundation
ParsonsKellogg
The Rhode Island Community Foundation
Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust
The 1772 Foundation
TSE Foundation
US Conference of Mayors/Wells Fargo
New Markets Tax Credits
Brownfields Revitalization
Capital One Bank
Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WHO’S WHO
OWNER/DEVELOPER
Farm Fresh Rhode Island
ARCHITECT
DBVW
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
CASE Construction
ENGINEERS
EDS Inc
ES&M
LGCI
Yoder + Tidwell Ltd
CONSULTANTS
Barbara Sokoloff Associates
The Aspen Group
LEGAL
Cervenka Green & Ducharme LLC
Klein Hornig LLP
SURVEY
Waterman Engineering
PRIMARY CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHER
Scott Lapham Photography