RECENTER REBUILDING GETS GOING ON MAIN ST. 
Midtown sobriety nonprofit ReCenter — formerly the Men’s Center — is now getting started building a new building in place of its old campus at 3805 and 3809 Main St. BRAVE Architecture’s design for the new housing, education, and detox facility — shown above fronting the Red Line — hasn’t taken shape yet, but a big hole recently has, according to a passerby, foreshadowing the coming construction. Since demolishing the 2 structures previously on site, the center’s been operating out of the former gas station convenience store just east on the block, at the corner of Fannin and Alabama. (Some additional office space is also tucked inside a converted home at 3816 Fannin.) [Previously on Swamplot] Rendering: BRAVE Architects
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What a great addition to the area….
fantastic !!
@jay
It’s a good location in a practical sense, as there are dozens and dozens of homeless individuals with obvious substance abuse issues just a bit up Main St. near Wheeler/Richmond who could certainly make use of the services that will be offered. Further, they are already operating in the immediate area, although the volume of individuals will increase once the larger facility is operational.
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I know practically everyone wants to turn Midtown into this ultra-luxe high rise district, but the fact is there are countless homeless services groups entrenched there which are not going away anytime soon. The Midtown homeless population is already the most sizable in town, and will only get worse as transients and others from different areas of town travel to take advantage of services offered at new facilities such as this.
@Donald: The Men’s Center has been in Midtown for a long time. It’s not like they will attract MORE homeless people because they have a nice new building. (Or maybe cool new architecture is more important to alcoholic and/or drug addicted homeless men than I previously imagined…)
@Donald
So you’re admitting this will make it worse?
As mentioned in my first paragraph, I’m well aware that they have been operating in the area for a long time. My point was that the much larger facility (when compared to the existing facility, which is literally a converted gas station) will allow for the capability of processing and assisting many more individuals.
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So yes, it could very well attract more transient individuals to this part of Midtown. Whether that would “make it worse†depends on your perspective.
I guess having three bars within a one-block radius must have been part of their site selection criteria?
@Mike
ReCenter’s clientele are not, for the most part, “bar people”, especially at those Midtown prices.
The location was established many years ago when the owner of New Orleans Po’ Boys (across Main St) bought these properties. A recovered alcoholic, he wanted to give back to the city where he was given a second chance.
When The Center was open on Main St, it required its residents to adhere to a strict code of conduct. Unlike some other charities and soup kitchens, there was remarkably little effect on the neighborhood. It will not be just another hang-out where street people loiter. It has a good record and I see no indication that that will change.
Every keyboard warrior rants about how the homeless are just drug and alcohol addicts, then rants some more when an organization like ReCenter plans an expanded facility to treat alcohol and drug addiction in the homeless. Which is it? Should they get treatment or not? Or let me guess, the appropriate location for such a facility is just the ever-unnamed “somewhere else?”
Yeah, the people I see around ReCenter (and the Men’s Center before that) don’t look homeless. They smoke a lot of cigs, but they seem like decent people.