Wood framing for the new Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley has progressed quickly on its North Side site just north of the current Rescue Mission on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Youngstown. The new facility will be 47,500 square feet, about double the size of the current facility.

YOUNGSTOWN — Wood framing for the new $5.5 million Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley went up quickly last week on the North Side.

Another contractor put up block and poured concrete last month, followed by a framing crew.

Completion of the project is expected in the spring with work continuing throughout the winter.

The new 47,500-square-foot facility will be about double the size of the current one at 962 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., a short distance to the south.

The new facility is being constructed at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and North Worthington Street.

Youngstown sold 27 parcels to the Rescue Mission last September for $6,480 for its new location. Ground for the project was broken last year on Halloween.

The Rescue Mission has raised all of the $5.5 million to pay for the building and is working to obtain $1.4 million to provide the furniture and equipment, John Muckridge III, president and CEO of the Rescue Mission, said.

Additional funds are needed to obtain everything from kitchen equipment to furnishings for the bedrooms, dining hall, chapel and beyond. Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC gifted a large quantity of used office furniture in April.

Until the mission can place the furniture in the new building, U.S. Safety Gear in Warren has volunteered to warehouse the furniture.

The mission provides food, shelter and counseling to those in need. Its normal overnight capacity is 168 people with an emergency capacity of 198 with the addition of 30 cots and sleeping bags.

Rescue Mission officials are working to find a buyer for its current location. If one isn’t found, the mission will demolish the 89-year-old building that originally housed a YMCA.