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County consultants outline Cherry Street emergency shelter design and HHAP funding path
Summary
Consultant Monica McCullough and Plan Architects presented designs for an 80-bed Cherry Street emergency shelter, confirmed ADA compliance and a HHAP capital application path with awards expected in October; VOA is proposed to operate the shelter and county staff stressed the need to pair shelter capacity with downstream housing options.
Monica McCullough, the developer engaged by Tompkins County, presented updated exterior elevations, site plans and floor plans for a Cherry Street permanent emergency shelter for adults during the Health & Human Services Committee meeting on March 12.
The proposal calls for a street-facing elevation with a staffed secure vestibule, program space on the first floor (intake, commercial kitchen, community room and provider "push-in" offices), and residential housing on the second and third floors. McCullough said the building’s programmatic layout can accommodate up to 80 beds within the footprint allowed by New York State shelter regulations.
Operational model and timing: McCullough and the architecture team said the building will be staffed 24/7 per state shelter regulations, and that the county’s planned application to the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) will happen in the early summer round with awards anticipated around October. If HHAP funds are awarded, construction was described as likely to begin after the code-blue season ends (the plan described an early-May construction start following award and bidding processes).
Accessibility and floodplain questions: Committee members pressed on ADA compliance and floodplain mitigation. McCullough said the designs are ADA-compliant; county engineers (Mark) told the committee the first floor would be set about two feet above base flood elevation and that post-construction grade would be approximately six feet higher than current site grade, reducing the need for additional flood-resistant first-floor materials.
Operations and exit pathways: Volunteers of America (VoA) is the intended shelter operator; committee members and county staff discussed how VOA’s shelter model and DSS case management will work to move people into permanent housing. Members raised the continuing challenge of limited local SROs and permanent-housing options, which the county identified as a bottleneck that could prolong shelter stays.
What’s next: The project team will post presentation materials to the county project webpage and solicit public input while preparing the HHAP application. Funding awards and subsequent county procurement processes will determine the construction schedule and final program details.
