A raft of community concerns couldn't trump Hope Mission's plan to overhaul the Herb Jamieson Centre at 100 Street and 105A Avenue, which received approval Wednesday from the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board. The rebuild will boost the 350-person capacity of the 63-year-old homeless shelter to 400, with a rooftop garden and landscaping providing a much-needed enhancement to the property's public realm.

A rendering of the rebuilt Herb Jamieson Centre, image via Hope Mission

Hope Mission anticipates the provision of indoor and outdoor amenities, including dedicated spaces for urban agriculture and barbecuing, will help keep its patrons from wandering the streets during the day. But community groups and local businesses have been vocal about the expansion of the inner-city facility, which is a short walk away from the ICE District.

Phil O'Hara, president of the McCauley Community League, argued that it's premature to approve the shelter project before Edmonton's new inner-city wellness strategy is released. That action plan is working towards longer-term housing solutions that generally excludes the addition of more temporary shelter space. A City-sponsored report from Homeward Trust made headlines in early July when it claimed a commitment of $230 million over six years could end chronic homelessness by 2022.

An aerial rendering of the new facility, image via Hope Mission

Hope Mission's internal statistics reveal that only about four percent of the 10,172 people that have spent time at the facility in the last two years are regulars who stay longer than 30 days. The vast majority use the shelter as a stop-off point for sleep before heading to work in rural areas.

Despite the transient nature of the facility, and the property being zoned for institutional use — which legally permits a homeless shelter — four groups filed official appeals to the issuance of a development permit earlier this year. Two nearby landowners claimed the project would put new growth in the neighbourhood at risk, since future development plans were drafted on an understanding that the area would be gentrified. 

The current facility, image retrieved from Google Street View

Funding for the $16 million facility has not yet been secured. Hope Mission is planning on asking the government to contribute half of the price tag with the remaining half coming from fundraising. The new facility could be up and running as soon as 2019.

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