BLOOMINGTON - Recent heavy rains and unexpected debris from a fire more than 100 years ago have pushed the opening of the Safe Harbor homeless shelter toward the first of the year.

That means those seeking shelter in early winter will have to depend, once again, on an aging building at 212 Roosevelt Ave.

"It will be much the same as in previous years," said Thomas Fulop, director of Safe Harbor. "We'll rearrange the dorm as need to be flexible as people come and go."

Fortunately, Fulop said, not as many people seek shelter in November and December as they do in January and February.

When ground was broken in May, officials hoped the building would be completed by fall.

But Capt. Scott Shelbourn, commanding officer of The Salvation Army of McLean County, said workers found several buried cisterns and other debris when preparing the site at the corner of Oak and Jefferson streets.

"The fire downtown (in June 1900) burned all the way to Mason Street," he said. It appears debris from houses or businesses on the land at the time and destroyed by the fire were buried on site.

There also were several types of soil in the area, he said, so dirt had to be brought in to make sure the density was the same for the entire site.

"The crews have been spectacular," Shelbourn said.

The extra work increased the cost of the project by about $45,000, he said. The original price tag for the building was $1.8 million.

Crews have been able to install plumbing, but recent heavy rains postponed plans to pour the floor. Workers have started erecting the outside concrete walls.

Shelbourn hopes the building will be completed by Thanksgiving, allowing furniture to be moved in December and doors opened for clients by January.

The building will be able to serve men and women 24 hours a day. Women have not been allowed at the current Safe Harbor for several years because it has lead paint on the walls, a health hazard for children.

Originally the building plan included some space for families; that was postponed because of money. Shelbourn said a Salvation Army's transitional house has been renovated to accommodate families. Two families currently live there.

Besides the homeless shelter, the new Safe Harbor also will house services offered at Compassion Center, 313 N. East St., a day center for the homeless in the basement of Second Presbyterian Church. Services include general equivalency diploma preparation, life skills, mental health and employment counseling.

Fulop said the moving process shouldn't take long because it's just a matter of moving and coordinating staff and hooking up computers.

Officials at Second Presbyterian Church still are considering options for the Compassion Center space once it becomes free. The Rev. Don Crittenden, director of discipleship, said church officials have talked with PATH (Providing Access to Help), the United Way of McLean County, agencies that provide services at Compassion Center and others to determine what is needed in the community.

Two or three options have surfaced, including a proposal by a group of parents interested in a drop-in center for mentally challenged adults. Crittenden said the idea is that the center not only would fulfill social needs of the clients, but also provide a break for caretakers.

Crittenden said any of the options would "require people of energy, vision and effort to make it happen."

The church's governing body is expected to consider options at its October meeting, he said.