LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB/WAVE) — The Salvation Army of Louisville celebrated the completion of a $2.7 million renovation project Wednesday to improve safety and conditions inside its overnight shelter.
Construction began in March of 2025. The renovations were aimed at making the overnight shelter more modern and safer for guests.
"Being able to provide a safe, secure space for people to come in, be able to let their guard down enough that they can get rest, that's what's important," said Major Mark Hunter, the area commander at the shelter.
Hunter said the construction was completed in phases. It started with making structural improvements to the old building, including removing part of an aging smokestack due to safety concerns.
The shelter then moved on to renovating its overnight sleeping spaces. Bunk beds were replaced with individual beds, and privacy walls were added along with bedside outlets for guests to charge their phones and medical devices.
Hunter said the renovations did not affect the over all bed count, which he confirmed to be 108 — 36 for women and 72 for men.
"We didn’t lose any beds, he said. "We just made better utilization of the space that we have."
The project was funded through combined funds from the American Rescue Plan, a grant from The Blue Sky Foundation, and matching funds from Metro Louisville.
The Salvation Army of Louisville is located at 911 S. Brook Street. Anyone can reserve a bed through the Coordinated Central Access line, available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 637-BEDS.
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