City gets shelter to replace 1 destroyed in 2011 twister

The Salvation Army broke ground on the new 30,661-square-foot facility in September 2014, and will host the grand opening on April 27 — the fifth anniversary of the 2011 tornado that destroyed the agency's shelter.

The shelter residents will go through a separate entrance from the lobby, be logged into a system and have their photo ID taken to allow them access to the highly-secured building.

The $5.8 million shelter will have 73 beds in four wings surrounding a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and a dining room that can seat 110 people that doubles as a community tornado shelter.

Each apartment has its own private living area with a TV and a private bathroom with a bathtub.

The family wing also has a laundry facility and an outdoor play area for the children where the Salvation Army plans to add a small playground.

The building will also include a social services department with a lobby and reception area, food pantries, offices, storage, a loading dock, a commercial washer and dryer for everyday laundry and a prayer garden.

The Salvation Army asks for continued donations to help pay off the building so the $300,000 in pledges over the next five years can go toward building maintenance and operational costs, he said.