After years of planning and several delays along the way, Open Table Nashville broke ground on a project that has aimed to provide free transitional housing to some of the city's most vulnerable homeless.
The Village at Glencliff will consist of 22 micro-homes for those living on the streets while coping with physical and mental illnesses.
"Today is not just about a really cool, fun project. It’s about saving our friends' lives and making sure they have access to build the lives they want and heal with dignity," said Lindsey Krinks, co-founder of Open Table Nashville, at the groundbreaking on Wednesday.
The Village at Glencliff will sit on unused land at Glencliff United Methodist Church in South Nashville. Religious land use laws allowed for the church to move forward with the project without adhering to zoning regulations.
Open Table Nashville is breaking ground on The Village at Glencliff, a micro-home community for the homeless. @NC5pic.twitter.com/kvBaFvIfa0
— Sarah McCarthy NC5 (@SMcCarthyNC5) October 4, 2017
Neighbors have voiced strong opposition to the project since its inception, even taking the matter to Nashville's Board of Zoning Appeals. In May, the board said it has no jurisdiction to overrule the project.
On Wednesday, Open Table said they do not have a firm construction timeline, but have planned to begin building right away.
"Tomorrow we’re having erosion control come in. We do have a creek behind us, so we’re making sure we’re on top of all that," Krinks said. "We’re wanting to get people into the homes as soon as we can."
