Shelter Lawsuit Gets Dismissed

A lawsuit had threatened to slow down or stop the construction of a Bemidji homeless shelter, but it was recently dismissed in court. Chief Judge Paul Benshoof made the decision in Minnesota’s 9th District Court, saying that an interim use permit was correctly issued by the Greater Bemidji Joint Planning Board.

The shelter has been under construction since last October. The second floor is almost completely finished, as bathroom appliances have been installed and an elevator for disabled homeless residents has been activated. Reed Olson, who serves as chairman of the Nameless Coalition for the Homeless in Bemidji, now expects the facility to open by the middle of February.