Converting Albemarle District Jail into a homeless shelter won't be as easy or cheap as originally thought.

Members of the Albemarle Coalition to End Homelessness recently learned that it could cost $1.5 million to renovate the jail when it becomes vacant early next year.

File photo by Brett A. Clark (ENLARGE)

Members of the Albemarle Coalition to End Homelessness say the estimated $1.5 million cost to renovate Albemarle District Jail, shown in this file photo from April, may put it out of their reach for use as a shelter for the area's homeless.

Ramona Gilbert, chairwoman and co-founder of the coalition, said Phil Donahue, vice president of fund development for the Albemarle Hospital Foundation, gave her group that estimate during a recent meeting. Donahue said the estimate comes from a recent walkthrough of the jail with an architect.

In January, the homeless coalition identified more than 100 men, women and children who, because they lack a permanent home, are living in shelters or on the streets.

The group began eyeing the ADJ building at 320 S. Hughes Boulevard as a possible temporary shelter for the homeless. The jail building, owned by Pasquotank County, will become available when the new $19.6 million district jail at Pasquotank County Commerce Park opens sometime early next year.

The coalition has already expressed interest to county commissioners in using the jail. However, no decisions have been made about the jail's future use.

Pasquotank County Manager Randy Keaton said the jail has a number of features that could serve the coalition's needs, including bunks, bathrooms, showers and a full kitchen.

Gilbert said, however, that the estimated $1.5 million cost to renovate the building may be too great for group with limited funds.

She said the collation has filed the federal tax forms required for nonprofit status, and plans to apply for state and federal grants. However, many of the grants require "dollar for dollar" matching local grants, she said. That could pose a problem, she said, because local governments are strapped by tight budgets and have limited funds to spend.

Gilbert said the need for a new shelter and other coalition needs will be discussed at a strategic planning meeting, slated for Wednesday at Albemarle Hospital.

Also on the agenda will be the status of current homeless shelters in the city, including Tabernacle of Faith Outreach, which operates shelters at 709 Herrington Road and 515 S. Road Street.

Tabernacle volunteer Diane Brothers said both outreach shelters are normally filled to their limit — a total of 20 men, women and children — at any given time. Both shelters also are always in need of volunteers and funds to maintain the buildings, she said.

Brothers said the shelter's founder, the Rev. Oliver Robinson, is trying to get support to open a transitional men's shelter on Bell Street for men recently released from jail.

She said Robinson is hoping that local carpenters, plumbers and electricians will offer training to help former inmates learn construction trades.

A fundraising banquet for the shelter will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at The Pines country club on North Road Street. Tickets are $25 and available at the shelter's office on South Road Street. For more information, call 331-1397.