Updated with response from City of Clarksville.
CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Amid weeks of debate over a proposed City of Clarksville partnership to create a homeless outreach center downtown, Clarksville Area Urban Ministries announced Monday that it will “pause the process.”
“We know that some residents are worried about the impact of the location on nearby neighborhoods and businesses, and we want to acknowledge and honor those concerns,” Urban Ministries said in a public statement.
The statement said they “recognize that pressing forward in a way that creates tension or division within the community is not the right path. Rather than continue the ordinance at this time, we choose to listen, to stand with our neighbors, and to work collaboratively toward a solution that supports both the needs of the individuals we serve and the broader priorities of downtown Clarksville.”
| MORE: Read the full Urban Ministries statement here.
City postpones ordinance indefinitely
The proposed City of Clarksville ordinance to purchase the Union Street property known as The Well will be postponed indefinitely, the city announced Monday afternoon.
“I respect the decision by Urban Ministries to pause the pursuit of The Well, which had been identified as the long-sought, viable solution to helping our homeless citizens,” Mayor Joe Pitts said in a statement to Clarksville Now. “Their decision did not come easily I am sure, in light of the conversations over the past few weeks.
“The City, however, remains determined in our pursuit of the answer to a growing need, and desires to help those who seek our help finding resources to lift themselves out of their current situation. We have the right blueprint in The Well project, and now we will need the will to make it happen,” Pitts said.
What was proposed at The Well
Over the past year, the City, through the Department of Neighborhood & Community Services, has worked closely with Urban Ministries to help find a way to expand their services, fill some gaps in case management, and create a location for emergency shelter for people who need it, the statement said.
The ideal location and a strong partner in Trenton Crossing Church of Christ had been found, the City determined, to not only expand the services already provided at that location, but to provide a reliable warming location for extreme weather conditions, comparable to what Clarksville is experiencing this week, the statement said. Because The Well is near the Clarksville Transit System hub, and additional support services such as employment, veterans services, food, and mental health services, it checked all the boxes.
Community input has been an important part of the process up to now, the statement said, and the City appreciates The Well and Trenton Crossing Church of Christ for their willingness to work cooperatively on a solution.
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