Council to consider $15M Salvation Army purchase

City Council will consider purchase of the Salvation Army’s downtown shelter at its Nov. 9 meeting. The shelter is currently being leased by the city after the Salvation Army unexpectedly announced plans to close the shelter, which serves single women experiencing homelessness, earlier this year. According to an Oct. 24 memo from city real estate officer Michael Gates, the real estate currently being considered for purchase includes “the former Salvation Army Downtown Center located at 501 E. 8th Street, a 1,500 square foot retail storefront property located at 718 Red River Street and an approximately 0.4-acre surface parking lot located at 700 Red River St.” The $15,050,000 purchase price for the property was supported by a third-party appraisal. “If approved, this purchase would allow for the reestablishment of that critical service on a long-term basis, save funding allocated for the remaining term of the lease authorized by Council on June 8, 2023, and allow the City to fully realize the benefit of building repairs currently being made to the facility,” Gates wrote.