The Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing’s (DIMH) search for a new home is one step closer to completion.
The nonprofit wants to relocate its current shelter and transitional home for men from its current location on Forest Street at Railroad Avenue to a property at 630 W. Division Street.
“We have a letter of intent to purchase the building at 630 West Division Street. We’ve jumped in with both feet and are dealing with engineers and architects and rezoning from C-3 commercial to IO (Institutional & Office) which permits overnight residential use,” said Jeanine Kleimo, chair of the Dover Interfaith Mission.
She notes that the Dover City Council is considering a rezoning request for the property.
The Dover Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on it November 16, 2020 before an anticipated second and final Council vote December 14, 2020.
Kleimo says if it passes, they hope to finalize purchasing the building by January and then spend 2021 renovating it.
Kleimo calls this is a wonderful opportunity.
“It’s a much larger space. Right now we’re leasing a building that we renovated, but did not renovate it thinking we’d be there forever.," said Kleimo. "We also have a double-wide trailer across the property that is used as a daytime resource center. So in this building, we’ll be able to consolidate everything.”
Kleimo says the larger space will also allow for a few more shelter beds -- and the Mission’s current commercial kitchen equipment will be relocated to the new building.
The building cost is listed as $1.2 million by Silver Linings Holdings Corporation.
