LEWISTON — Kaydenz Kitchen, the nonprofit selected by the city to operate a 24-hour homeless shelter, is under contract to purchase the former Fortin Group funeral home at 70 Horton St.

The announcement Thursday morning came after city officials approved a contract this week that ensures city financial support for the shelter for at least the next three years, which cleared the way to receive $2.5 million in state funding to buy the building and cover startup costs.

“After months of planning, collaboration, and quiet anticipation, we are thrilled to finally share a major milestone in our mission to support those experiencing homelessness,” the announcement said Thursday. “This location represents more than just a building — it’s a safe place, a fresh start, and a foundation for hope.”

Officials announced Tuesday that Kaydenz Kitchen had a building under contract, but the organization declined to disclose the location at that time due to contractual restrictions from the seller.

Kaydenz Kitchen leaders said Thursday they received formal approval of the contract from Service Corporation International, which owns the building.

“With this step forward, we’re now better positioned to continue raising critical funds through state, federal and public channels — just in time as we prepare for the colder months ahead,” the group’s statement said.

The announcement caps months of questions over where the permanent shelter would be located after Kaydenz Kitchen leaders said negotiations to locate the shelter at the former Schemengee’s Bar & Grille on Lincoln Street, where the group operated a winter warming center this year, had stalled.

Kevin Boilard, founder and director of Kaydenz Kitchen, said the 14,000-square-foot Fortin Group building “checks a lot of boxes” and is in a more centralized location. He said for shelter guests, it’s closer to where social services are provided and can also provide a daytime shelter to help the city address issues at the Lewiston Public Library and other locations that unhoused individuals frequent.

The Sheltered by Jesus and St. Martin De Porres shelters are also nearby.

The shelter  would be the first of its kind in Androscoggin County, providing wrap-around services, coordinated entry assessments, housing navigation, connection to service providers, and 24-hour access for shelter users. While there are six shelters in the city, none are considered low-barrier due to entry requirements and none are available 24 hours.

Mayor Carl Sheline said Thursday that he’s “pleased that we found a location that allows clients to access nearby services and provides relief where we need it most.”

However, it’s been a bumpy process to get to this point, with MaineHousing last month setting an Aug. 1 deadline for Kaydenz Kitchen to show that it can cover operational costs for at least the first two years of the shelter project. Lewiston officials agreed this week to provide $1.2 million over the next three years to the shelter after initially committing $400,000 for this year.

The Fortin Group property was listed at $890,000. On Tuesday, city staff told councilors the building was under contract for $950,000. Early this year, Boilard told the council the market value of Schemengee’s was $1.7 million, but the asking price by the owners has not been made public.

Councilor Susan Longchamps, who owns Webb’s Market on Pine Street, which is adjacent to the Fortin property, has supported the shelter project, and said the future shelter is “a great building.” But, she said she’s also concerned with some of the ongoing public safety issues in the area, including prostitution, that she believes could complicate the shelter operation.

“I have and continue to support the shelter project,” she said. “But I worry about the crime that’s already happening here, and with people who are trying to find recovery or just a better path, how distracting is that when you’re still surrounded by it?”

Councilor Josh Nagine has also supported the project, but has long advocated for keeping a permanent shelter away from downtown businesses.

Nagine said the Horton Street property is centrally located without being too close to the downtown business district or new development.

“No matter what location is chosen, there will inevitably be opposition,” he said. “The key is to manage and reduce conflicts between the new and established uses and I believe the shelter crew both has the desire and the ability to be responsive to the needs and concerns of the whole community.”