The building first housed The US Hotel. Hope House, a homeless shelter, became a tenant in 1989 and more recently, All About Cutz opened.
Tim Williams, director of operations at Hope House, said they have a signed leased through the end of 2017 with Finkelman Realtors. He hasn’t talked to the new owner to discuss the future plans of the building, but he stressed Hope House isn’t closing.
Hope House plans to build a men’s homeless shelter on Grove Street. Depending on funding, that facility may be open sometime in 2019, he said.
Williams said he hopes the homeless shelter can continue operating on South Main Street until a new center is available.
When Lewitt moved back to Middletown from Portland, Ore., she was surprised there were no homeless shelters in the city. After talking to her grandfather, Harry Finkelman, they decided to use the property for Hope House, which was founded in 1989.
She said her family was proud of the work being done at Hope House.
“The Finkelman family has a strong tradition of community development and historical preservation,” said Lewitt, who added her family owned The US Hotel since the 1930s. “It is an amazing experience to preserve this unique treasure, a National Historic Landmark, for our city and be a part of Middletown’s rich history and renaissance through the years. It is an honor to be part of the birth and growth of the Hope House Homeless Shelter and support a needed small business. We wish the new owner much success.”
Hope House Mission is a faith-based ministry, serving homeless men, women and children in Butler, Warren, and surrounding counties in Southwest Ohio. It provides comprehensive programs and services designed to promote long-term, sustainable life transformation.
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