Homeless shelter on the way

Chapel Hill's homeless men will soon have a new place to seek shelter food and education.

Despite some hesitancy from local business owners many citizens are excited about the shelter's potential to help those in need.

The UNC Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to lease land to the town for $1 per year" eight months after University and town officials announced the plan.

""The University is cooperating with the town and trying to provide them with an appropriate location"" said Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and construction.

The new shelter's 1.6-acre plot is part of a 13-acre tract of land UNC purchased from Duke Energy in a deal that closed in December, said Runberg.

John Dorward, the associate director for the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, said the council expects the proposed shelter will be a great improvement for the area.

It's a piece of property that we've been looking at for a long time"" he said. It's a great location from our standpoint.""

The council will manage the new shelter" which will be built on the corner of Homestead Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Reading and writing programs will be conducted at the new facility in addition to the planned sleeping quarters for men Dorward said.

Rev. Richard Edens one of the pastors of United Church of Chapel Hill which is right next to the new shelter's site" said his congregation has volunteered at the current shelter for some time.

""We've had an active role in the homeless shelter for 20 years"" Edens said. We plan to continue to do so.""

But not everyone is as optimistic about the new shelter. Some local business owners are worried that it might affect potential customers.

""I'm scared I'm going to lose business"" said Sal Tornetta, owner of Sal's Pizza and Ristorante, located across the street from the new shelter's site. I don't like it"" but it's too late now.""

Sam Zheng of China Wok said he is also apprehensive about the new homeless shelter.

""It's possible that maybe they would drag crime up"" he said.

The town's current shelter — the Community House on Rosemary Street — has been used for the last 18 years both as a community kitchen and sleeping quarters.

It will close once the new shelter opens, and its community kitchen will be relocated to an undecided location.

Dorward said a lot of work remains before the shelter can be completed in the next few years.

We have to do a lot of preliminary work" Dorward said. Realistically" we anticipate a couple of years.""



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