By David DeCamp, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
PINELLAS PARK — Tent City is going bricks and mortar.
Pinellas Hope, a complex of 250 tents and sheds for homeless people, will open 80 transitional housing apartments in two to six weeks. The efficiency units have gone up on the same 13-acre tract as the tents off 126th Avenue North in unincorporated Pinellas.
"What a dream come true," said Sheila Lopez, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities, which runs Pinellas Hope, at a grand opening Tuesday with 150 people. Speakers such as St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster and Pinellas County Commission Chairwoman Karen Seel lauded the second phase of the complex.
The $4.3 million project, paid with state and local funding, also includes a community center with a kitchen, offices and a covered dining area.
Pinellas Hope, begun in December 2007, generally holds about 250 people at a time, allowing them a place to live and restart their lives. Often referred to as "Tent City," it relies on government spending and private donations.
David DeCamp can be reached at ddecamp@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8779.
