Smith Building meeting tonight

The city of Olympia will hold a neighborhood meeting tonight on the plan to turn the city's Smith Building into a homeless shelter.

A conditional use permit must be obtained before the the 12,000-square-foot building can be converted, and the meeting will cover that topic. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Smith Building, 837 Seventh Ave. SE.

The Family Support Center, a local nonprofit, plans to convert the city-owned building into 32 beds of emergency shelter and 28 beds of permanent affordable housing for families with children. Previously, the building was home to the city's planning department.

The Olympia City Council voted 5-2 last month to authorize City Manager Steve Hall to sell the building to the Family Support Center for $1 per year. The council earlier decided to apply for up to $551,500 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds that the center would combine with grants and fundraising to put a total of $1.9 million into the project. The center hopes to open the shelter next year.