Charlottesville’s Salvation Army seeks to replace Ridge Street buildings

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Salvation Army in Charlottesville wants to knock down all three of its Ridge Street buildings and replace them with one new facility.

The trick will be doing this and staying open at the same time.

“When construction begins, we will be taking down the apartment buildings and administrative offices and the church program buildings,” Major Walter Strong said Wednesday, January 18.

The is for one large building, and to do more with it.

“We’ve designed a four-story building that will house everything with better access for the building so that you can come through one door instead of now you’re fighting, you know, four or five different doors to figure out where we’re at and where to come,” Strong said.

Functions at the existing building will be shifted until construction wraps up.

“We may end up moving to the thrift store, and then using that building to house our church, our administrative offices, and our soup kitchen in a temporary basis while this has been built,” Strong said.

The new building will include seven apartments, shelter space for more than 100 people, along with the store, kitchen, and offices.

Construction is expected to being in 2024 and take about two years to complete.

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