The Greater Boston Food Bank has moved into a new, larger building in Boston that enables the organization to handle more food while being energy efficient.

The new facility, called the Yawkey Distribution Center roughly doubles the square footage of The Food Bank’s previous facility and increases the amount of freezer and other cold storage needed to store frozen and perishable foods.

Located at 70 South Bay Ave., the new food bank is 117,000 square feet and was completed after more than five years of planning and 18 months of construction. The Food Bank’s former home at 99 Atkinson St. was 63,000 square feet. 

"This wonderful new building could not have come at a better time," said Catherine D’Amato, The Food Bank’s president and CEO. "We know our member agencies are serving more people, and we’re now able to handle more food and show exactly why this building was built. I sincerely thank everyone who has played a role in making the Yawkey Distribution Center of The Greater Boston Food Bank a reality."

At that location The Food Bank could distribute nearly 30 million pounds of food and grocery products a year. The new building will allow The Food Bank to eventually distribute up to 50 million pounds of food and grocery products a year. The Food Bank also gains more office space, training rooms and a third floor roof deck.

The Food Bank is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The architect was Tom Sieniewicz of the Cambridge architectural firm Chan Krieger Sieniewicz.  Milford-based Consigli Construction Co. was the general contractor, and the owner’s representative was JA Klump LLC Project Management Services.