A prominent rescue mission based in Fort Collins that has served tens of thousands of residents in the last decade has revealed plans for the building of a new shelter facility.
Located at 316 Jefferson Street, the Fort Collins Rescue Mission is tasked with providing meals, shelter, and rehabilitative programs for those without a permanent place of residence.
Earlier this year, the organization announced plans to build a new shelter that will be opened 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on a site at the intersection of North College Avenue and Hibdon Court.
As envisioned, the shelter will have enough room for upwards of 200 beds, doubling the group’s current capacity.
A preliminary design for the project has now been submitted to the City of Fort Collins calling for a building with two wings surrounding a common space. One wing, on the south side of the facility, will house administrative offices, a cafeteria, and storage space.
The second wing, on the building’s north side, will house the actual shelter space.
Officials with the mission say the new space is needed to keep up with demand. According to a study released late last year by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than 600 people were regarded as “chronically homeless,” in Fort Collins, a category up by 15% over 2020.
Plans for the new Fort Collins shelter must be submitted to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. A timetable for when construction might begin on the new facility remains to be determined.
By Garry Boulard
