New $5 million animal shelter rounding into shape with construction well on track
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Construction crews are well on their way to completing St. Joseph's new animal shelter by mid-2026.
Motorists passing along South Belt Highway will see considerable progress being made on the exterior of the new $5 million shelter at 3405 S. Belt Highway.
"So far the timeline is on track. The construction team with E.L. Crawford is doing a fantastic job on the timeline," St. Joseph Animal Services Director Holly Bowie said. "They're shooting for late June, but we're we're being pretty open minded."
E.L. Crawford Construction is tasked with building the 13,000-square-foot facility, a significant upgrade with 5,000 additional square feet of space compared to the aging and outdated facility at 701 S.W. Lower Lake Road.
Bowie received a tour of the project on Wednesday as crews carried out various tasks like hanging drywall and installing windows. By Thursday, crews were pouring cement on the front and back end of the building. A significant portion of exterior work has been checked off the list at this point.
“They're in the part of the job where they're doing a lot of the electrical and plumbing and things like that. So we're not seeing as much beyond the walls going up as what's really happening right now," Bowie said. "We have a design team from the shelter who we meet with on a regular basis."
In the meantime, animal shelter officials are taking steps to prepare for a smooth transition when the time comes, including potential adjustments in operations that come with a larger facility.
Staff have been running through different scenarios so they can troubleshoot ahead of time.
“It’s giving us a lot to think about. You know, we're thinking about the increase in traffic that we may very well experience and how we're going to manage that with our current staffing," she said. "Even establishing some of this practice up here on (Lower Lake Road) so that it's easier when we move."
The new animal shelter is designed to provide adequate space to house dogs and cats separately to avoid stressing the animals. The new building will also have more areas to visit with adoptable animals.
A $5 million project, funding was made possible thanks to $1.7 million from the Friends of the Animal Shelter, as well as $3.3 million in capital improvements funding from the city.
