For the first time since it was built in the 1960s, the Golden Gate Wholesale Product Market, located in South San Francisco, will undergo a major renovation effort that will include a solar installation and other infrastructure, environmental, food safety, traffic and sustainability improvements.

“The Golden Gate Produce Market plays a vital role in the Northern California’s economy, and the improvements announced today (mid-September) will lay the foundation for the Market’s future growth and success,” market president Peter Carcione said in a press release. “This investment in the market expands our capability to bring the highest-quality fruits, vegetables, and organics to serve the diverse tastes of the region, and it builds on our long history of supporting California’s agriculture industry in a sustainable manner.”

Board Member Steve Hurwitz, who is founder and chief executive officer of Bay Area Herb & Specialties, a market tenant, told The Produce News, “This renovation is the most extensive in the market’s 53-year history and is designed to meet the changing needs of businesses located at the market and their customers who shop there. By strengthening the market’s infrastructure and advancing its commitment to sustainability, we will create a better experience for everyone who works at or visits the market.”

He added that this 742,000-square-foot facility, located across the freeway from San Francisco International Airport, is the largest and busiest produce terminal in Northern California. He said the state-of-the-art enhancements will be made over the next year and include new solar/energy efficiency upgrades, cold chain food storage management and worker safety systems, as well as smoother traffic flow within the facility.

Twenty-three independent and family-owned businesses operate at the market, including wholesalers, jobbers, commission merchants, brokers, foodservice distributors, processors and one restaurant. More than 15 million packages move through the market each year.

The enhancements were made after extensive market research and feedback with customers and businesses at the market. Hurwitz said the seven-member board, which is made up of market shareholders, specifically approved the following upgrades:

• The installation of solar panels to be complete before the end of 2016 that will dramatically reduce the need to draw energy from the power grid.
• A new recycling/composting partnership has been established with South San Francisco Scavenger to further reduce waste.
• Upgraded electrical, water and sewage systems will be installed.
• Improved traffic flow within the facility will be orchestrated, and a number of worker safety upgrades, including better lighting and loading dock safeguards, will also be part of the renovation.
• Management of the cold chain storage facilities will be improved to ensure quality, freshness and food safety.
• A makeover of the building’s exterior, including new signage, and expanded parking, is also on the drawing board.

Hurwitz said the solar implementation is expected to have a significant positive environmental impact and reduce the market’s overall carbon footprint. The market’s new 1,322 kW solar installation is expected to generate more than 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, which is the equivalent, greatly reducing the market’s carbon footprint.