An overnight warming center that can accommodate up to 100 people per night will open Saturday at the former Fortin Group building on Horton Street in Lewiston.

The Lewiston nonprofit Kaydenz Kitchen, tapped to develop and operate the region’s first low-barrier shelter, will open the Alter L/A warming center at the new location as it prepares to launch the 24-hour shelter in early 2026.

Kevin Boilard, founder of Kaydenz Kitchen, said staff has been making preparations this week at the building at 70 Horton St., which the organization purchased earlier this year with the help of a MaineHousing grant.

The warming center will operate from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. seven days a week starting Nov. 1 until the new shelter opens.

Once open, the 24-hour, low-barrier shelter could be faced with paring down the number of nightly guests, as it is approved to accommodate only 40 beds.

Boilard said Alter L/A staff is still finalizing its procedure for switching over, and as the transition gets closer, they will be working with MaineHousing and other partners to make sure those in need are connected with resources.

According to city ordinance, the warming center is not permitted to supply beds for guests, and is designed as an emergency means for people who are homeless to get out of the elements as cold weather sets in.

The permanent shelter is aimed at providing a 24-hour space where the people in the region most chronically affected by homelessness can access services like mental health and substance use counseling, housing navigators and workforce connections.

Boilard said the ultimate goal is to have people in the permanent shelter who would benefit most from those resources. He added that the shelter will have the ability to expand to 60 beds depending on funding and staffing availability.

While organizers of the low-barrier shelter have said the downtown Horton Street location is more centralized and closer to other social services, there have also been concerns that the shelter’s arrival could add to crime issues in the neighborhood.

Boilard said Alter L/A has contracted with Lewiston police to establish a presence next to the location in the lead-up to opening and for at least the first five days of operation.

He said the warming center and shelter project are “already facing uphill battles with the stigma and stereotypes” surrounding the homeless population, and it could be an easy target for people looking to place blame in the neighborhood.

“We understand a lot of these challenges are preexisting in the neighborhood,” he said. “It’s not something we’re bringing. We’re trying to set a new tone before our presence, and prior to our opening.”

Lewiston police Lt. Derrick St. Laurent said Wednesday that the contract with the warming center amounts to two hours of daily overtime to have an officer assigned to the location. He said police have met with warming center staff and the department is “optimistic” about the shelter’s relationship with the neighborhood.

“It’s obvious they are taking this seriously,” he said.

Boilard said he’s hoping the police presence will discourage some illegal activity that is already taking place there.

Kaydenz Kitchen operated a warming center last winter out of the former Schemengees Bar & Grille on Lincoln Street, and had been leasing the space to operate a food pantry and thrift store until a recent fire.

In August, MaineHousing released $2.5 million in funding for the shelter project after the city of Lewiston committed to providing a portion of operational costs for the first three years of shelter operations. The MaineHousing funds paid for the acquisition of the Horton Street building, as well as startup costs.