Salvation Army delays move to new headquarters
Jeremy M. Lazarus | 2/11/2021, 6 p.m.
The Salvation Army Central Virginia is keeping its headquarters and shelter at 2 W. Grace St. and has no immediate plans to move to North Side.
Nearly a year after buying 1900 Chamberlayne Ave. from Eternity Church for $1.8 million, the Salvation Army has set no timeline for relocating to the new site it has dubbed The Center of Hope.
The news is a boon for nearby businesses that unsuccessfully sought to block the relocation.
Instead of moving in as initially indicated, Salvation Army officials now have said the Christian group plans to invest about $6.5 million to renovate and refurbish the Chamberlayne Avenue property that is to include the organization’s offices and an expanded 95-bed shelter, up from the 55 beds now available at its current home.
Charlene Nieman, the Salvation Army’s director of development, confirmed that the organization is not rushing to get the space open.
In response to a Free Press query, Ms. Nieman stated, “The opening for The Center of Hope will be several years from now.
“The plan is to do extensive interior renovations to increase shelter bed capacity and social services,” she continued. “We want to take the time to do it right, while working with a sense of urgency to meet the need.”
