Hope for the Homeless

After many delays, Gainesville's purchase of land for the city's one-stop homeless center was finalized this week. The Grace Marketplace One-Stop Homeless Assistance center is a significant part of Gainesville's 10-year plan to end homelessness in the community. Gainesville City Spokesperson Bob Woods says the center will have all the resources and services for the homeless in the Gainesville community. The land proposed for the future home of the Grace Marketplace faced resistance from owners of surrounding businesses as well as providing better access to the facility for its patrons. Woods says negotiations have finally been made to get the project started. City officials chose the 10-acre property in Northwest gainesville back in April, but the city's plan board didn't approve the application to use the land, which is zoned for industrial use, until earlier this month. Woods says the process to begin construction is finally complete. With the city commission also reviewing plans to lift the limit of meals served to the homeless at St. Francis House, Grace Marketplace will be another option for the homeless to go for a hot meal. Woods says the center will include facilities for sleeping, bathing and even office space. Grace Marketplace is schedule to be open to the public sometime next year. Gainesville City Manager Russ Blackburn is set to discuss more information on the center, as well as the limit on meals for the homeless at tonight's City Commission Meeting.

linkpermalink to this story

printprint this story

emailemail this story to:


your email address: