The process of turning a church in downtown Bemidji, located on the corner of 6th St. and America Avenue, into an overnight winter homeless shelter has been delayed twice.

The property was purchased in September of this year.

Nameless Coalition for the Homeless chairman Reed Olson, who originally announced an opening date of Nov. 1 for the building, now expects it to be ready soon after New Year’s Day.

Volunteers and construction crews have been busy with finishing the building’s outside. When that’s over, they’ll install a service elevator and complete several bathrooms. Most of the supplies that will go into the finished shelter have been donated by the public.

Going with volunteer help has caused the project to move at a slower pace, but the end result is expected to be a great help to the Bemidji community.

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By — Jackson Brunner