A successful and popular homeless shelter group in southern Colorado is hoping to expand its always-needed services via the building out of yet more shelter space.
Located in a one-story building at 728 W 4th Street in Pueblo, the Pueblo Rescue Mission has for decades provided not just nightly bed shelter for up to 25,000 people a year, but also food, physical and mental health care, and addiction support services.
Launched in 1984, the shelter underwent an extensive renovation in 2020. But now officials want to purchase a one-story structure just down the street at 710 W. 4th Street for additional shelter space.
The 710 W. 4th Street building is part of a triangular-shaped plaza built in 1952 and designated as a Class B structure.
While the current facility provides space for around one hundred people a night, the new building would allow the non-profit to offer shelter for another 125 people.
As envisioned, the new building would also house office space and a service center providing dental care, legal assistance, and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
As yet another sign of the rescue mission’s growth, a 1,000 square-foot, 94 year-old brick building at 718 W. Fourth that was once a private residence has also been purchased by the organization and is being looked at for additional shelter space.
That one-time house is one of the last structures of its kind recalling the days when the currently mostly commercial W. Fourth Street was primarily residential.
A timeline for when work will begin at the 710 W. 4th Street building, if successfully purchased, has not yet been announced.
By Garry Boulard
