GREENFIELD — With the start of construction on the Wells Street homeless shelter inching closer, Clinical & Support Options (CSO), which oversees the facility, has submitted a plan to the city to temporarily relocate those beds.

The proposal includes converting a portion of the second-floor office space at 6 Arch St., owned by CSO, to accommodate up to 45 shelter beds. The property is currently zoned central commercial.

The city’s Planning and Development Director Eric Twarog said the project will involve internal work but no external renovations. He noted some indoor “exploratory work” has been completed in advance of the site plan review on Thursday, Jan. 4, at 6 p.m. at the John Zon Community Center.

In April, CSO took over operations at the Greenfield shelter, which was previously overseen by ServiceNet. The nonprofit was tapped in November 2022 by the state Department of Housing and Community Development to provide emergency shelter services to homeless adults. Administrators are planning a dramatic $23 million transformation of the existing emergency shelter at 60 Wells St. The proposed design includes a renovation of the existing building, expanding shelter capacity from 30 to 40, and construction of a new three-story building that will hold 36 studio apartments aimed at “extremely low-income,” formerly homeless individuals.

CSO’s Vice President of Housing and Shelter Bill Miller previously explained there are about 10 different funding sources for the Wells Street project — including the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) — that are funneled through the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

In May, the Community Preservation Committee also voted to recommend to City Council CSO’s request for $100,000 in Community Preservation Act funding for the project, which City Council then approved.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.