Partial demolition set at Bethlehem Inn shelter
Bethlehem Inn announced Tuesd ay that demolition of its original building that housed the dining room and service hub will begin later this week. This step will allow the construction phase to begin for the new 18,600 square foot family residence and service hub.
The new building, which is scheduled for completion in mid-2018, will double the inn’s capacity to shelter homeless families, replacing an aging five-family residence with space for 10 families at any given time. It will be the first facility in Central Oregon specifically designed to support families and individuals transitioning from homelessness to stability.
Construction will occur on the current Bethlehem Inn site at 3705 N. Highway 97, in Bend. SunWest Builders serves as the general contractor.
Executive Director Gwenn Wysling explained how the construction will take place without interfering with the Inn’s services to homeless families and individuals: “In preparation for the demolition, we installed a portable structure that will allow the programs being displaced during the construction phase to continue. Our goal is complete construction without interrupting or diminishing the critical services we provide every day.”
Bethlehem Inn announced earlier that their Transforming Lives Together Capital Campaign has raised over $5 million of the $5.3 million in funds needed to complete the new Family Residential and Service Hub facility. Campaign Chair Heather Tennant Salvesen is spearheading the effort to complete funding, and will also help launch a second phase of construction currently in the planning stages.
“This project means Bethlehem Inn will be here for generations to come,” says Wysling. “Families and individuals do fall into situational homelessness, maybe because of an eviction, or a job loss, or a health crisis. Because our community cares, there will be a place to go to turn their lives around and get back on track.”
