LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Construction has officially started on the "Community Care Campus" in the Smoketown neighborhood.
Mayor Craig Greenberg made the announcement in a Tuesday press conference where he acknowledge the project's price tag has increased.
"The total estimated cost of this project is $58 million and much of that as you heard today will come originally from the state government," Greenberg said. "But we need more help."
What was previously reported by the mayor last May as a $40 million dollar project is now expected to cost $18 million dollars more.
The first phase of the campus' construction will begin with converting the former Vu Hotel into a family emergency shelter. Greenberg said the city and partner of the project, Volunteers of America, should have the first phase completed by the end of the year.
Greenberg expected this part of the project to be completed by the end of last year. WHAS11 asked him why he felt confident they will make this new deadline.
"Well work has now begun so that's a good sign," Greenberg said. "I know that great work that Miranda Construction has done across our community and many projects, and certainly every project has its challenges. There are often delays but work has now begun."
The facility aims to be a "state of the art campus for people experiencing homelessness". The campus will house a shelter, medical care and other essential services at 221 East Breckinridge Street in Smoketown.
Phase 1 includes turning the former hotel building into a full service shelter with 29 units for families with children. The shelter will have a kitchen, dining area, laundry room and playroom for children.
During construction, VOA will open a temporary family emergency shelter in a different building at the Care Campus.
"The vision for this project came out of conversations with people across the city who know this issue very well," Mayor Craig Greenberg said. "Those conversations helped us identify priority needs like family shelter, medical respite and permanent supportive housing. Even if we can't solve everything at once, these are areas where we can make meaningful progress."
The plan is to have the full family emergency shelter open on the Community Care Campus by December.
Jennifer Hancock, the president and CEO of VOA, said finding a home for struggling families is crucial.
"Parents will benefit from a multitude of supportive services to help them regain housing and return to self sufficiency," Hancock said.
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The facility will include transitional housing for young adults, permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness, a medical and behavioral health clinic, medical respite facility, community gathering space and a Louisville Metro Police Department office.
Volunteers for America will also move it's Louisville headquarters to the campus in the former C2 Event Venue.
The Metro government is allocating $22.5 million to construction costs for the project.
The funding comes from the Kentucky General Assembly which directed $100 million in the state budget towards several downtown Louisville projects this year.
Greenberg said the Community Care Campus will help people get connected with the facilities and resources they need.
According to the Coalition for the Homeless a majority of the houseless population within the metro happen to be single men.
"That notion that they don't want to come in and get help isn't entirely true," said Charlie Walsh with the coalition. "They need a little more coaxing and somebody to be their guidance and talk to them and not just tell them go here go there."
Hancock said they do have future plans to address this demographic, but their data shows the greatest problem right now is families. The VOA said they are looking at a referral service for single men and women in the future of this project.
The "Community Care Campus" is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2027.
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