To expand its operations, DESK purchased the 3-story building at 266 State Street and plans to convert it in phases. The site, located in an advantageous position to serve its target population, within walking distance of the City green, near the Sunrise Café, along the bus system, and in a visible location, was ideal for creating the organization’s new center of operations.

Carried out in five phases, the project involved the addition of Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center’s Homeless Healthcare Clinic on the second floor, a conversion of the first floor into a dining hall, a transition from residential apartments to DESK administrative offices on the third floor, and the installation of a commercial kitchen in the basement. Care was taken not to disrupt DESK’s service delivery, as programs such as its soup kitchen operation are relied on by people in need.