Star House has kicked off a major South Side transformation, breaking ground Tuesday on a project that will turn the long-vacant St. Ladislas Catholic Church into its second drop-in center for young people experiencing homelessness. The nonprofit says the new site will expand services beyond its North Side Milo-Grogan hub and add room for drop-in supports, clinical care and workforce training. Leaders say the South Side location should ease strain on the original center while putting help closer to neighborhoods where youth homelessness is most acute.
The organization bought the 26,000-square-foot St. Ladislas campus at 277 Reeb Ave. last summer for about $1.17 million and plans to divide the property between a sanctuary-based "Hub," space for partner agencies and housing in the former convent, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The purchase followed a 2023 restructuring by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus that left several South Side churches sitting empty.
Star House already operates a 14,000-square-foot drop-in center in Milo-Grogan at 1220 Corrugated Way. That site runs 24 hours a day for youth ages 14 to 24 and offers basics like food, showers and laundry. The group’s website also outlines therapy and case management, workforce programs and impact metrics for guests, underscoring leadership’s argument that more capacity is badly needed, per Star House.
Groundwork began with the ceremonial shovel on Tuesday. Star House says the renovated church is expected to open in early 2027, funded through a roughly $10 million campaign that organizers say has already pulled in more than $9 million, according to WBNS. The campaign is set to cover the church conversion, interior upgrades and improvements at the existing facility.
What the South Side Hub Will Include
Plans call for the church sanctuary to become the drop-in Hub with seating, a cafeteria and a kids’ play area, while the former school building will host partner-run services, an art room and a workforce development center. The convent, at roughly 3,000 square feet, is slated for a later phase that will add housing or transitional living, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
"Our short-term goal is providing shelter, food, job training and hope," Star House CEO Ann Bischoff said at the groundbreaking. She added that the long-term goal is to prevent young people from ever ending up on the streets again, according to WBNS. The remarks cast the project as both a practical expansion and a call for the community to stay engaged.
Bischoff told reporters that roughly 10,000 young people in Franklin County experience homelessness each year, a number that organizers say makes the South Side project an urgent piece of the local safety net, according to coverage by WCMH/NBC4 (via Yahoo). Star House leaders also say the new location will strengthen its collaboration with nearby services on Reeb Avenue.
Star House is continuing to accept donations to the campaign and has launched an Opportunity Fund to help stabilize its operations. Those interested in contributing or volunteering can find details on the organization’s website. Star House also lists current programs, contact information and the address for the Milo-Grogan center.
