CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — City leaders are weighing the purchase of a downtown property known as The Well that could significantly expand homeless services in partnership with Clarksville-Area Urban Ministries.
The proposed ordinance would authorize spending $750,000 to buy the site at 224 Union St., with funds coming from the city's Community Development Block Grant entitlement. An estimated $250,000 in improvements are also planned.
The Well, currently operated as a ministry of Trenton Crossing Church of Christ, offers hot meals and fellowship twice a week, clothing donations, and Sunday services for families and individuals in need. If the purchase moves forward, the site would provide expanded case management, food services, showers, laundry facilities, and emergency shelter during extreme weather events.
City officials say the goal is to create faster connections to housing, reduce strain on emergency services, and improve access to healthcare. Leaders emphasized the facility would not operate as a 24-hour shelter and would not draw new populations downtown.
Downtown Clarksville has long served as a hub for nonprofit and faith-based assistance. Nearby organizations including Operation Stand Down, Centerstone and Grace Assistance already provide housing, behavioral health, and employment services in the area.
Supporters argue the Union Street location makes strategic sense because many people who would use the services already spend time in the downtown and Madison Street corridor, which offers proximity to transit, courts, and workforce programs.
Deborah Ashcraft, manager of Grace Assistance's men's emergency warming shelter, highlighted the urgent need for additional services.
"I have 67 men right down the hall from us now that are very cold because they've been outside all day with nowhere to go," Ashcraft said. "This is an emergency shelter we're proposing, so it'll be for all different weather — hot, cold, tornadoes, flooding."
However, some residents oppose the chosen location, citing concerns about its residential surroundings. Carolyn Ferrell, county historian and a two-time resident of the nearby Dog Hill neighborhood, supports the mission but questions whether this is the right spot.
"I think there are many possible sites that would be more suitable and easier on the people who live nearby," Ferrell said.
Growing concerns and questions prompted officials to schedule a second public meeting, which was moved to a larger venue as community interest increased. Residents gathered in small groups to discuss operations and alternatives, with some suggesting sites closer to interstate access or hospitals.
Allen Eversole, who attended the meeting, said the city should "take more time and study it" before making a commitment.
Under the proposed ordinance, the city would retain ownership of the property and lease the building to Urban Ministries, which would handle operating and maintenance costs. If approved, next steps would include final negotiations, site plan review, drafting a service agreement, and beginning renovations.
The vote has been delayed to allow for additional public input.
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