Former Sears Armory building to be part of Multnomah Safe Rest Village

PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) -- Portland officials announced the former SFC Jerome F. Sears Army Reserve Center building in Southwest Portland will be used as part of the expanded Multnomah Safe Rest Village.

The announcement was made when the officials attended the monthly meeting of the Multnomah Neighborhood Association on Wednesday, April 9. The city-sanctioned managed homeless shelter with services currently consists of 30 small living units behind a fence in a portion of the center’s parking lot at services at 2731 S.W. Multnomah Blvd. The city plans to more than triple more than 100 units, although no schedule has been released.

But at the April 9 meeting, the officials released a new map of the expansion that showed the sprawling two-story brick building will also be used as part of the Multnomah SRV. It is commonly called the Sears Armory. In response to a question, Laudie Porter, Community Engagement Coordinator with the City Shelter Service Team, said the operator will use the building for administrative purposes, counseling services, and a space for SRV participants to gather.

The Multnomah SRV is operated by All Good Northwest, a nonprofit social service provider.

The answer prompted former Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz to ask whether any part of the building or parking lot would be used for emergency management services. Fritz, who was attending the meeting online, was a member of the City Council when the U.S. Department of Defense donated the shelter to the city in 2011 to be used for emergency management services.

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