BELOIT—Beloit Meals on Wheels is planning for a bright future in Beloit, as the service organization submitted a plan to develop a new operations facility, according to City of Beloit Community Development Department records.
On Dec. 1, Beloit Meals on Wheels submitted an application tied to the purchase and redevelopment of five parcels of property at 249 Maple Avenue, 1534 and 1540 Shore Drive, 214 and 226 Beach Avenue to be rezoned from residential to a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The properties located at 1534 and 1540 Shore Drive and 249 Maple Avenue are city owned, with Beloit Meals on Wheels currently under contract to purchase the land.
Planning records obtained by the Beloit Daily News show Beloit Meals on Wheels plans to redevelop the properties into a new 2,521 square-foot office, storage and food delivery building. A site plan submitted with the application also shows an outdoor event space/tent area near the proposed building.
In 2020, the organization celebrated 50 years of serving the Beloit community. Last year, the group saw a 23% increase in total meals served overall and an 11% increase in clients served per month. Beloit Meals on Wheels also has a vast volunteer base with over 500 active volunteers that provided a total of 6,740 hours of service in 2020, according to a 2020 annual report.
When contacted, Beloit Meals on Wheels Executive Director Ellen Wiegand declined to comment on the project due to the effort being in its initial stages and yet to receive full approval by the Beloit City Council. On Dec. 21, the master land use plan will be before the Beloit Plan Commission for review followed by review by the Beloit City Council on Jan. 18.
