Harmony House announced yesterday it bought a vacant hotel to replace its existing shelter.
The $1.1 million purchase of the former Americas Best Value Inn, 3404 E. Ridgeview St., would allow the nonprofit to expand its shelter capacity to 160 beds from 110, said Jackie Langdon, a spokeswoman for Harmony House. A Greene County recorder
filing indicates Kamaxi LLC transferred the property deed to Family Violence Center Inc. on Sept. 16.
Langdon said via email Harmony House’s century-old current shelter, 519 E. Cherry St., would be sold. While no general contractor has yet been selected, Sapp Design Associates Architects PC is serving as architect for the construction and renovation project slated to start in the spring and wrap up in early fall, she said.
The 160-bed shelter, near Battlefield Road and U.S. Highway 65, would have larger units with in-room bathrooms, greenspace, a playground, larger kitchen and dining area, additional classrooms and training spaces and a larger area to hold donations for clothing and hygiene items. It also would consolidate all services into one building, rather than the three that make up the current shelter, according to a news release.
Last year, Harmony House launched a capital campaign to secure funding for a new shelter. Donors included Bobby Allison and the O’Reilly family, as well as land valued at $265,000 from Central Bank of the Ozarks that’s under contract for sale. To date, the campaign has raise $2.3 million, or about 50 percent of goal.
Harmony House received City Council approval
in August to build a 46-unit affordable-housing complex at the corner of South Scenic Avenue and West Delmar Street. The Angelou Apartments, a partnership with The Vecino Group, would help domestic violence victims transitioning out of the nonprofit’s shelter.
