City Council Expected to Green Light Emergency Expansion of Sam Jones Hall
In the midst of a months-long coronavirus emergency, Santa Rosa’s City Council is expected on Tuesday to approve a $3.5 million expedited expansion of the Sam Jones Hall homeless shelter.
The 8 thousand square foot construction project would add up to 60 beds in a prefab building, replacing those lost when the facility’s capacity was reduced in March to accommodate social distancing required under the county’s public health order. It is envisioned to be completed before winter to replace the temporary tent camp established by the city at the Finley Community Center Parking Lot.
Under the contract, the new building would rise in an adjacent parking lot and be completed in just 4 months time. The expected price tag is $3.1 million for construction and just over $300 thousand in construction management costs.
Since March, the city has contracted with Catholic Charities to operate the Safe Social Distancing Program at a parking lot at the Finley Community Center. The site consists of rows of tents where up to 68 homeless individuals can be accommodated at one time. Other displaced unsheltered residents have been moved to the Sandman Hotel near downtown.
Besides the Finley Social Distancing Parking Lot site, Catholic Charities is also the operator of the current Sam Jones Hall, and will be tapped to run the new Sam Jones Hall Emergency Shelter as well.
According to the staff report, the emergency shelter is intended be a temporary structure with a ten year warranty that can be removed if needed in the future. However the report makes clear that decisions about the future of the building will be made in the years to come, when the city’s needs for shelter space and ability to pay for it are known.
Author: newsofthenorthbay
Recent Comments