Austin opens converted motel as new domestic violence shelter with public-art installation

Austin officials and community partners on Sept. 10, 2025, formally opened a renovated former motel in East Austin as a domestic violence shelter operated by SAFE Alliance in partnership with Austin Public Health, officials said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes, chair of the City Council public health committee, called the facility “a true safe haven, a place to rest, to heal, and to reclaim power over one's future.” Council member Chito Vela read a proclamation declaring Sept. 10, 2025, “Ofrendas dedication day” to mark the installation of a new public-art work created with shelter residents.

The shelter and the accompanying public-art installation are intended to expand immediate options for people fleeing family violence, city and nonprofit leaders said. Adrian Sturrup, director of Austin Public Health, said the facility will streamline access to services so “no longer will survivors have to choose between staying in danger or being homeless.” He said the shelter will be operated by SAFE Alliance in partnership with the City of Austin and Austin Public Health.

Built by Capital Delivery Services from a former motel, the site required structural and environmental repairs and winter-storm remediation during renovation, officials said. Dr. Cara Boyles, director of Capital Delivery Services, acknowledged those challenges and thanked McKinney York Architects and general contractor STR Constructors for the conversion. City staff named on the project included Akisha Johnson Smothers (Austin Public Health), Albert Ortiz and Philippe Gekic (facilities), and a project manager identified as Mari.

The site includes trauma-informed design elements and spaces intended for families, with pantry areas and play spaces described by SAFE Alliance leadership. SAFE Alliance CEO Joya Spann said the organization will provide intensive safety planning, case management, peer support and counseling, and community-based services for people who have experienced family violence, sexual assault, child abuse and trafficking. Spann said many of the building’s design choices grew out of lessons learned while SAFE Alliance operated temporary hotel-based shelter placements over the previous five years.

The shelter also houses a public-art installation, Ofrendas, created by Austin artist Felipe Gomez through the City of Austin’s Art in Public Places (AIPP) program. Gomez described holding workshops with shelter residents — “we painted, we wrote poetry, sculpted, journaled, and shared stories” — and said the three painted-steel sculptures are meant to invite interaction and to “foster interaction, healing, and peace.” Council member Chito Vela described the artwork as the product of a trauma-informed, community-centered process and read a proclamation recognizing the piece and the artist.

Officials noted the site’s neighborhood connections: a pedestrian bridge to Walnut Creek, nearby parks and youth services such as a Boys and Girls Club within walking distance. Morgan Messick, assistant director for Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment, said the AIPP program has integrated artists into civic construction projects since 1985 and thanked many city and private partners involved in the project.

No funding totals or formal city votes were announced during the ceremony. City staff invited the media to tour the facility and arrange one-on-one interviews after the ribbon cutting.

The ribbon-cutting event included remarks from: Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes; Council member Chito Vela; Adrian Sturrup, director of Austin Public Health; Dr. Cara Boyles, director of Capital Delivery Services; Morgan Messick, assistant director of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment; artist Felipe Gomez; and SAFE Alliance CEO Joya Spann. SAFE Alliance staff and city personnel were available after the event for media tours and interviews.