The Salvation Army Cape Fear announces groundbreaking of new shelter

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — On Thursday, the Salvation Army Cape Fear celebrated a groundbreaking of its Center for Hope shelter, which will be located off of MLK Parkway.

Work has already started as crews have begun cutting down trees on the 22-acre property.

City councilman Luke Waddell said the shelter will help deal with a major issue the city has been facing.

“We do a lot of focus on other things and we have a gap of short-term emergency shelter here in Wilmington for folks who need it,” Waddell said. “And this Center of Hope from the Salvation Army is exactly that. It’s gonna be 75 beds, 20,500 square feet with a lot of wraparound services tied to it that will address the homeless population and give people a short-term, emergency shelter option.”

The shelter will also have 7 suites so that families can stay together.

Along with the shelter, a community center will also be built on the property.

Major Ken Morris leads the Salvation Army Cape Fear and said the shelter will also serve as a new workspace for them.

“Not only will that be the shelter, we’ll move our admin into that area, we’ll move our social work into that area,” Morris said. “We are thrilled to be in this building, the Harrelson Center because a lot of other agencies are here and we hope to be able to stay here as well. But basically, that will be our main hub for our admin and social services.”

Morris said the Salvation Army hopes the shelter will be completed by the spring of 2025.