Overnight warming center at Wabash Bus Station to open Friday night

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Wabash Bus Station is set to open as a temporary overnight warming center Friday, according to a release from the City of Columbia.

In the release, the city said the warming center, located at 126 N. 10th St., will be open from 7 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday.

The city said it's opening the shelter Friday night due to forecasted temperatures below 15 degrees Fahrenheit. The city recently temporarily raised the low-temperature threshold to open the center from 9 degrees to 15 degrees, citing COVID-19 limitations at other shelters.

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Wabash Bus Station last Friday night to call for an even higher temperature threshold of 32 degrees.

City officials still encourage residents needing a warm place to stay overnight to utilize the following locations first:

• Room at the Inn
• Salvation Army Harbor House
• True North (for domestic violence)
• Welcome Home (for veterans)
• St. Francis House (for men)
• Rainbow House (for children/youth)
• Flourish (for youth)

The city and county health department also coordinates daytime warming and cooling centers that are open during normal business hours. They are:

• The ARC (Activity and Recreation Center), 1701 W. Ash St.
• Boone County Government Center, 801 E. Walnut St.
• Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, 1005 W. Worley St.
• Columbia Public Library, 100 W. Broadway
• Salvation Army, 1108 W. Ash St.
• Salvation Army Harbor House, 602 N. Ann St.
• St. Francis House, 901 Range Line St.