The project brought hundreds of jobs to a county suffering from heavy job losses and ACT provided grant funding to expand the Youth Science Academy’s summer food service program, which provides youth healthy meals during summer STEM and life skills classes.
Project Atlantic, developed by fresh produce distributer Castellini Group, involved the construction of 180,000 SF of refrigerated produce processing and distribution facilities, which meet the new Food and Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulatory requirements, plus 20,000 SF of LEED-certified office space. The single-story building is situated on a 33-acre site and can accommodate expansion up to 400,000 SF. The project resulted in nearly 450 temporary construction jobs and over 470 living-wage permanent jobs. Castellini Group also committed to a minimum minority hiring goal of 40 percent. The project, which involved 8 CDEs, received an honorable mention for the 2015 Operating Business QLICI of the Year Award.
