Projects

Union Gospel Mission Men’s Shelter

Summary

What started as a soup kitchen in 1951 is now a comprehensive ministry providing men, women and children with meals, shelter, job training, recovery programs and more. Salem, Oregon’s Union Gospel Mission serves Salem’s most vulnerable populations. In order to better serve its clients and to replace aging facilities, United Gospel Mission needed to build a new men’s shelter and chapel, and create a storage area for bicycles. Union Gospel Mission hired CD Redding Construction for the project.

People need to know about Mass Ply. It is an amazing product. We use it, and have recommended it. In fact, we brought it to the table for this project. The structural engineer was very receptive to the idea. Mass Ply is an amazing product, and the Freres’ are fantastic. I will continue to use Mass Ply wherever I can.
Scott Champion, CD Redding Construction

The current Union Gospel Mission men’s shelter had 200 beds — not enough to meet the need. Those beds were in high demand even before multiple events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the local wildfires and historic ice storm, led to increased unemployment, temporary closing of homeless shelters and loss of homes in the nearby wildfires.

Labor shortages were also wreaking havoc on construction costs and timelines. CD Redding Construction’s Scott Champion needed to find a way around these obstacles. Having worked with Freres’ Mass Ply Panels on a number of other projects, he chose Mass Ply to help solve his problem.

The new, 57,000 square foot men’s shelter provides 300 beds, dining facilities, bathing facilities, classrooms, counseling and medical support. Of the 300 beds, 224 are slated for emergency shelter beds for the homeless, 76 are for the long-term program, which provides services to help men with life skills, recovery, education and counseling. After one year, more than 82 percent of the men in this one-year program are successful, meaning they are employed, have stable housing and are sober.

The new chapel supports the Union Gospel Mission community, as well as local businesses and community members. Also built from the ground up, the chapel’s design includes a sloping roof with three-to-five foot cantilevers extending all around the chapel. Most eaves extending to that length require rafters, cables or trusses for support. According to Champion, Mass Ply doesn’t, which is another benefit from both a labor and maintenance standpoint as rafters and trusses are a favorite nesting place for bats, bugs, birds and other critters.

UGM CaseStudy 2
Painted Mass Ply with acoustical panels in chapel. Photo: Zak Stone Photography

“We knew from past experience that Freres’ Mass Ply has an offsetting benefit in labor costs,” said CD Reddings’ Champion. “We chose Mass Ply because it is costeffective, durable, saves time and is a multi-purpose product; Mass Ply provided the roof structures, ceilings (painted) and the exterior overhangs without the need for supporting rafters.”

From the pandemic and OSHA shut downs to the delays caused by the wildfires and ice storms, CD Redding Construction lost nearly three months of construction time. According to Champion, without the various challenges that caused delays, the project would have been completed on time or early. “Being able to install Mass Ply in one day was a huge benefit.”

UGM CaseStudy 3
The new, three-sided bicycle storage structure is made of Mass Ply, providing a functional and attractive new storage area. Photo: Zak Stone Photography

Download a PDF of the Union Gospel Mission Case Study

Project Summary

Challenge

Time and money. Union Gospel Mission’s 65-year old men’s shelter and adjacent chapel were in disrepair and needed to be replaced from the ground up. In addition, the non-profit, serving some of Salem, Oregon’s most vulnerable populations, wanted to add a bicycle storage area. CD Redding Construction was concerned about both the local labor shortage and the number of man hours necessary to frame these facilities conventionally.

Solution

Mass Ply Panels. Having worked with Freres’ Mass Ply Panels on a variety of previous projects, CD Redding Construction knew Mass Ply would have an offsetting benefit in labor costs because it can be pre-fabricated and cut to exact dimensions for quick and easy installation. In addition, Mass Ply would not require rafters for the three-to-five foot cantilevers surrounding the new chapel.

Result

Saved time and money with Mass Ply. This durable, multi-purpose mass timber product was installed in just one day, proving to be a cost-effective and practical choice. Without Freres’ Mass Ply, the chapel roof alone would have taken an additional two weeks to complete with traditional framing. Because Mass Ply can be painted, it served multiple purposes in the construction process, acting as the roof structure, the ceiling (painted) and the overhang.

Partners

General Contractor

CD Redding Construction

Architect

Merrick Lentz

Engineer

MSC Engineers

Photo credit

Zak Stone Photography
CD Redding