Columbia Construction and Symmes Maini & McKee Associates celebrate completion of Salvation Army Cambridge

Together with the project team, Symmes Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA) and Columbia Construction Co. (Columbia), The Salvation Army of Massachusetts celebrated the completion of their new addition and renovations at their Cambridge Corps location. In attendance were civic and community leaders, along with local Salvation Army divisional leaders, majors David and Naomi Kelly. The dedication ceremony marked the official opening of the new two-story addition including a medical clinic, daytime drop-in center, case worker offices, an overnight shelter, youth program classrooms, transitional housing, and upgraded kitchen and dining facilities for homeless children, adults, and senior citizens. The new facility, which replaced a one-story gymnasium, adds an additional 21,000 s/f to the original building, designed by SMMA in 1969, thus enabling The Salvation Army to help more residents in need and introduce the concept of individual rooms for their transitional housing residents. "The Salvation Army has been faithfully serving those in need in Cambridge for many years. Our mission is to transform the lives of young people who have made poor choices, to be a safe haven for homeless children so that their parents can work to stabilize their lives, and to help those with no home feel welcome and cared for so that they can see a way to a better life," said lieutenant Michael Harper, commanding officer of The Salvation Army Cambridge Corps. "92 of the 119 men who were in the program in 2010 are currently living substance-free in their own homes. Constructing this brand new wing of the Cambridge Corps allows us to leverage resources to serve a very vulnerable population more effectively and efficiently." Phase II of the project is currently in fundraising, and aims to renovate and expand the front portion of the main building, which houses Our Place, a daycare center for homeless infants and children. Shown (from left) are: Major David Kelly, Massachusetts divisional commander; captain Armida Harper; Alan Wilson, advisory board member; Joseph Tulimieri, acting advisory board chair; Lieutenant Michael Harper; Bruce Gordon, Columbia Construction; Robert Hicks, Symmes Maini & McKee Associates; Major Naomi Kelly, associate divisional commander; and David Maher, Cambridge city councilor.